Centre tells SC it wants more compensation for Bhopal gas leak victims

Attorney General says tragedy continues for victims, will pursue its 12-year-old curative petition for them

The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court "it is keen" to pursue its 12-year-old curative petition seeking more than Rs 7,500 crore more from Dow Chemicals, Union Carbide and others for deaths and injuries caused by the 1984 Bhopal gas leak.

Union Carbide, which is now a subsidiary of Dow Chemicals, has paid more than Rs 3,900 crore as compensation for the leak from its plant. A curative petition is the last resort available to a person after a review petition is dismissed.

Attorney General R Venkataramani told a five-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul that it is a tragedy unfolding every day and victims can't be abandoned.

Advocates Sanjay Parikh and Karuna Nundy said victims of the gas leak need to be heard before a judgment is delivered.

Venkataramani said the government wants to pursue the matter and after compiling information about the incident it will submit a note before the court.

Nundy said not just civil compensation for the victims, but the criminal role of the company must be investigated.

A lawyer for Union Carbide Corporation questioned the locus standi of non-governmental organisations in the matter. The bench, which also comprised Justices Sanjiv Khanna, A S Oka, Vikram Nath, and J K Maheshwari said a curative petition was filed after a gap of 19 years.

The bench told Venkataramani and Union Carbide to compile their submissions. The next hearing will be on January 10.

After the case was heard, leaders of five organisations representing survivors of the gas leak expressed satisfaction at the government’s commitment to pursue the curative petition for additional compensation.

On September 20, the Supreme Court had asked the government if it wants to pursue its curative petition.

As many 5,295 people died and 568,292 were injured when a highly toxic gas called Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) leaked from the Union Carbide India’s plan in Bhopal in the early hours of December 3, 1984.