August 1, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Lalit Maken Killed
'Gas Leak Sabotage'
The Union Carbide Corporation has ruled out everything but sabotage as the cause of last year's chemical disaster in Bhopal, the company lawyer, Bud G Holman, said. His comments went further than any previous statement by Union Carbide on the cause of the gas leak that reportedly killed 2,000 people and injured 2,00,000. A company spokesperson, Ed Vand Name Le, said later that the lawyer's statement should have been that the UCC has 'all but ruled out everything but sabotage'. He left open the possibility that the gas leak was accidental.
Maken Murder: 3 Held
Three persons have been detained in connection with the gruesome murder of Lalit Maken, his wife and a visitor to their house, the commissioner of police, Ved Marwah told a press conference. The three have been detained on the basis of information collected from the five eye witnesses to the crime, he said. All three were residents of South Delhi, Marwah added. The police commissioner promised a reward of Rs 1 lakh to any person giving clues leading to the arrest of Maken's assailants.
Parliament Adjourned
A stunned and grieved Parliament adjourned as news of Congress (I) MP Lalit Maken's killing came in. Speaker Balram Jakhar, PM Rajiv Gandhi and Opposition leaders paid tributes in the Lok Sabha prior to adjournment. In the Rajya Sabha, chairman R Venkataraman broke the news to a shocked House soon after Question Hour and adjourned the proceedings.
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