1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Survivors Seek Justice for Under-Compensation
The Supreme Court declined a plea claiming misclassification of injuries among 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy survivors led to under-compensation. Petitioners can approach the high court. Methyl isocyanate gas leaked in the disaster, causing massive casualties. Petitioners urge reevaluation of compensation by identifying misclassified cases.
- Country:
- India
The Supreme Court on Thursday refrained from hearing a plea regarding the alleged under-compensation of several seriously injured survivors of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy due to misclassification of injuries. Instead, the Court directed the petitioner organizations to seek remedy at the jurisdictional high court.
Chief Justice B R Gavai, alongside Justice K Vinod Chandran, emphasized the Court's refusal to discuss the case's merits. The 1984 disaster, which occurred due to methyl isocyanate leakage from a Union Carbide factory, resulted in 5,479 fatalities and incapacitated over half a million people, marking it as one of the deadliest industrial incidents globally.
The petitioners sought a directive for both the Centre and Madhya Pradesh government to realign compensation schemes for victims misclassified under the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985. Survivors suffering critical conditions like kidney failure and cancer were reportedly categorized under 'minor injuries.'
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News