Bhopal Gas Tragedy: The Supreme Court rejected the curative petition of the Centre seeking additional compensation of Rs 7400 crore from the Union Carbide Corporation to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy.
Rejecting the Centre's plea, the court reprimanded the gross negligence in compensation to the Bhopal gas tragedy victims.
The Supreme Court said that an amount of Rs 50 crore lying with the RBI will be used by the Government of India to meet the pending claims.
In December 1984, a tragic event unfolded in Bhopal that left wounds that have yet to heal.
Poisonous gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, causing the deaths of thousands of people who were sleeping at night.
The entire city was engulfed in an atmosphere of deaths and despair, with the death toll exceeding 16,000.
The aftermath of the tragedy was equally devastating. Around 500,000 survivors suffered from respiratory problems, eye irritation or blindness, and other deformities caused by exposure to the poisonous gas.
The impact of the tragedy was also felt by future generations. Many children born in Bhopal after the tragedy were born with handicaps or other diseases.
This vicious cycle of suffering continues today, with many children still being born with abnormalities in the affected areas.
Following the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984, Union Carbide Corporation had initially paid compensation of US $ 470 million to the victims.
However, the victims filed a court case seeking more compensation. In response, the Centre demanded an additional compensation of Rs 7,844 crore from the company.
In December 2010, the Centre filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court to increase the compensation.
The government wanted Union Carbide (now owned by Dow Chemicals) to give this money to the gas tragedy victims, while Union Carbide Corporation had said in the court that it would not pay a single penny to the Bhopal gas victims apart from the agreement reached in 1989.
On this petition, on January 12, the bench had reserved the decision after hearing the arguments of all the parties. On Tuesday, the court rejected it.
The government wanted that Union Carbide (now owned by Dow Chemicals) pay compensation to the Bhopal gas tragedy victims. However, Union Carbide Corporation had argued in court that it would not pay any amount to the victims beyond the 1989 agreement.
On January 12, the court had reserved its decision after hearing all parties' arguments on this matter. On Tuesday, the court dismissed the petition.
