Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Centre’s Plea for Extra Compensation for Victims Dismissed by SC

New Delhi: Centre’s curative petition seeking additional compensation from Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) for the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy was dismissed by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.  The Centre wanted another Rs 7,844 crore over and above the $470 million already paid in a settlement in 1989 by Union Carbide (now owned by Dow Chemicals) towards compensation to the victims. Lethally toxic methyl isocyanate gas from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal had claimed over 3,000 lives and maimed thousands more in 1984.

The five-judge bench led by Justice SK Kaul noted that settlement can be set aside only on the ground of fraud. But the Central government had not cited any grounds for fraud. The top court said, the Centre’s plea for “top-up compensation” has no basis in legal principle.

Rapping the Centre for “gross negligence” over deficiency in the compensation for victims of the deadly gas leak, the bench said the sum of Rs 50 crore lying with the Reserve Bank of India shall be utilised by the Union government to satisfy pending claims.

The firms had told the top court during the hearing of the case that the Indian government never suggested at the time of the settlement that it was inadequate.

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