The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed CBI's curative petition against an earlier apex court judgement that diluted charges against the accused in the Bhopal Gas tragedy.A five Judge Constitutional Bench, headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia, however left a window of opportunity open, saying the pending proceedings before the Sessions Court against the Chief Judicial Magistrate's judgement awarding two years sentence to the accused, including Union Carbide India Chairman Keshub Mahindra, will not be influenced by any order passed by it. The Bench said that the CBI and the Madhya Pradesh government have failed to come out with a satisfactory explanation on filing the curative petition after a lapse of 14 years. The CBI and the Madhya Pradesh government had filed the curative petitions after a public outcry over what was considered as a mild punishment for a tragedy that claimed over 15,000 lives in December 1984 and had left several thousands maimed by the leakage of deadly Methyl Isocyanate gas.Reacting to the verdict, Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily said that in its wisdom, the apex court has taken the decision.Most of the gas victims have expressed disappointment over the verdict on CBI's curative petition in the gas tragedy criminal case. AIR Bhopal correspondent reports that Non-Government Organizations working for gas victims have termed the verdict as unfortunate.
News On AIR | May 11, 2011 8:56 PM
Bhopal gas tragedy victims express disappointment over SC verdict