BHOPAL, 11 November 2002 — Police in the central state of Madhya Pradesh claimed to have busted a gang involved in cheating victims of Bhopal gas tragedy with the arrest of two persons and recovery of nine bank checks of half a million ruppees each besides several other incriminating documents. The gas tragedy occurred on the intervening night of Dec. 2-3, 1984, when tons of poisonous gas leaked out of the Union Carbide’s plant at Bhopal killing 3,500 people and maiming thousand others. The accused used to trap the victims by claiming that they will expedite their compensation claims. The modus operandi adopted by the accused was to charge 2,000 rupees for taking up the victim’s case and later 10,000 to 15,000 rupees while delivering them the check. But when some of the victims approached bank to withdraw money they were informed by the bank officials that the checks were fake. — Pervez Bari
