India’s Supreme Court rejects plea for increased compensation to 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy victims

The Supreme Court of Indiaon Tuesday (March 14) rejected a curativepetition filed in 2010 by the Union government led by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singhdemanding increased compensation to the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, referring to a nearly four decades old industrial disaster in central India that claimed at least 4,000 lives and resulted in non-fatal injuries to over half a million.

"We are unsatisfied with the Union of India for not furnishing any rationale for raking up this issue after two decades," a five-judge bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said.

"Settlement can be set aside only on the ground of fraud. No ground of fraud has been pleaded by the Union of India," the judgment reasoned.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The industrial disaster took place ina plant operated by the US-based Union Carbide Corporation, now owned by Dow Chemicals.

After hearing detailed arguments, a five-judge bench headed by Supreme Court's Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul on January 12, had reserved its verdict.

Bhopal gas tragedy: How much compensation was sought?

The Union government of Indiahad sought an additional compensation to the tune of nearly one billion dollars (or ₹7,844 crore).

Bhopal gas tragedy: Why was increased compensation sought?

The Indian government hadsaid that given the sheer scale of the tragedy, the compensation of ₹715 crore ($470 million) in 1989 was "inadequate".

ALSO READ |Bhopal gas tragedy: Tainted company continued to sell products discreetly in India, says report

The depreciation of the Indian rupee since 1989 has also been asserted as a ground to seek a top-up of compensation for the industrial gas leak's victims.

Bhopal gas tragedy: Supreme Court on ‘welfare state’ principle

Earlier, India's Supreme Court grilled the government while pointing out that it was not prohibited from granting relief to the Bhopal gas tragedy victims, and that it cannot free itself from the responsibility of governing by saying, "I will take it from them (successor firms of Union Carbide Corporation), as and when taken from them, I will pay."

ALSO WATCH |Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Victims, their kin seek adequate compensation from government

Considered a "chemical accident" and the "world's worst industrial disaster", the Bhopal gas tragedy occurred on the night of 2-3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, about 850 km south of New Delhi. The official number of immediate deaths was 2,259. Later revisions to the toll suggested that about 8,000 people died within two weeks of the leak, while another 8,000 died from gas-related diseases in the immediate years after 1984.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.