BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh high court (MPHC) on Wednesday quashed Bhopal district court’s order on criminal proceedings against Moti Singh and Swaraj Puri, the then collector and superintendent of police of Bhopal, for helping escape of main accused in Bhopal gas tragedy , Warren Anderson.Thirty-two years after the disaster, chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Bhopal district court had on November 19, 2016 ordered registering a case against Singh and Puri for "aiding the escape" of Anderson, who was the then chairman of Union Carbide Corporation Singh and Puri’s counsel argued that the lower court had taken cognisance based on a book on the Bhopal gas tragedy, and this was uncalled for. He said Anderson was on bail and there was no condition in the bail order which prohibited his travel abroad.Bhubhaskar Yadav had ordered FIR against Singh and Puri while hearing a petition filed by Abdul Jabbar, a social activist. On February 7, 2017, the court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Singh and Puri after their failure to appear in court in compliance with previous summons.CJM had issued a strong order which stated, "Prima facie, it is evident that thousands of people were dying in Bhopal due to leakage of poisonous gases, and the head of district, the then collector and superintendent of police, were using all their expertise and entire system not to save people but to help a criminal escape. With full planning for saving him from getting punished, they not only gave time to Anderson but helped and provided him with resources to flee the country. It is for these reasons that he could not be arrested."This order Bhopal district court was stayed by court of additional district and sessions judge (ADJ) on February 27, 2017. Jabbar, who had been fighting for justice of gas victims, had then moved high court to get the stay vacated.

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