Press release - October 15, 2007
PURBA MIDINIPUR, India — Six Greenpeace activists, four male and two female were produced in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Purba Midinipur, at 2.15 pm this afternoon and granted bail. Judge Sukumar Ray pronounced his verdict after the court reassured itself with a bail bond being furnished and an additional condition that the activists will present themselves to the investigation officer at the Kolaghat police station once a week till further notice. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for December 19.
6 Greenpeace activists scale the 250 feet chimney and painted the message, "SMOKING KILLS" in the coal powered Kolaghat thermal power station.
The Climate 6 were arrested under the West Bengal Maintenance of
Order Act and charged with criminal trespass in a protected area.
They spent 4 days in the Tamluk District Court correctional jail in
Purba Midinipur after they had scaled a 250 feet chimney and
painted the message, "SMOKING KILLS" in the coal powered Kolaghat
thermal power station. On Friday, the prosecution argued that the
activists had intent to sabotage power supply during the Durga Puja
festivities.
"I am glad that the Honourable Chief Judicial Magistrate noted
that there was no malafide intent in what the six of us undertook.
Non violence and respect of public property is a core Greenpeace
tenet that every Greenpeace activist personally believes in, yet it
is important to tell decision makers that there is an urgent need
to respond to the climate crisis", said Gene Hashmi, Greenpeace
Communications Director and one of the climate 6 chimney
climbers.
" We understand that the climate 6 will have to produce
themselves before the Kolaghat police station once a week and we
fully intend to comply and cooperate" said, Samit Aich, Greenpeace
Deputy Executive Director who led the Greenpeace legal defense.
"Greenpeace will redouble efforts to call for urgent action to
arrest climate change," he added.
"Now that I am out, I will be able to write my exams in Mumbai
on the 29 th of October", said Sonali Bhattacharya, who suffered a
hairline fracture in her right hand middle finger when a chunk of
concrete dislodged from the chimney and hit her from a height of
156 feet in the midst of the Kolaghat operations.
The activists were produced this afternoon in a jam packed
Tamluk court. Many locals had turned up to hear the court's
decision and the verandah overflowed with curious people down to
the steps at what many in Midinipur felt was an unusual case.
Meanwhile, the Rainbow Warrior is in the Sunderbans now to
highlight the extreme vulnerability of this ecologically sensitive
region to sea level rise. The ship will carry on the message of
climate vulnerability to Bali where in December world governments
will meet to strengthen the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Greenpeace is telling governments, including the Indian
government that the time for vacillation is over and the need of
the hour is clear time bound action to prevent climate chaos.
For further information, contact
On legal matters: Samit Aich - Greenpeace Deputy Executive Director; 0-9342126592 
About the Climate 6: Ruchira Talukdar – Greenpeace Communications; 0-9900264127 