Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

India's Supreme Court rejects more money for Bhopal gas leak victims

India's Supreme Court rejects more money for Bhopal gas leak victims

India's Supreme Court has rejected a plea seeking more compensation for victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster.
The court said the issue could not be "raked up three decades after the settlement".

Thousands of people died after a leak from Union Carbide's plant in the Madhya Pradesh state capital.

Dow Chemicals, which bought Union Carbide in 1999, said that a settlement agreed upon in 1989 was fair and final.

The Bhopal gas disaster is considered the world's worst industrial disaster.

The Indian government says some 3,500 people died within days of the gas leak and more than 15,000 in the years since.

Campaigners put the death toll as high as 25,000 and say the effects of the gas continue to this day.

In 2010, an Indian court had convicted seven former managers at the plant, handing down minor fines and brief prison sentences.

But many victims and campaigners have felt justice has still not been served against Union Carbide.

In 1989, Union Carbide agreed to pay $470m (£386.5m) to settle the initial fight for compensation. The government, which argued on behalf of the survivors, had asked for $3.3bn (£2.7bn).

The victims appealed the judgement in the Supreme Court which upheld the settlement but ordered Union Carbide to fund a hospital for victims costing about $17m.

In June 2010, the government decided to review the compensation after an outcry over UCIL's former executives receiving just two-year prison sentences and minor fines.

India's attorney general filed a curative petition, asking the case to be reopened, and to increase the settlement to $1.1bn.

The government argued the initial compensation was based on incorrect figures and failed to capture the enormity of damage caused to human lives and the environment. The petition demanded the additional compensation should be paid by the successor firms of Union Carbide.

However, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea, saying it was "not maintainable in law and lacked merits on the facts of this case".

"The question of compensation can't be raked up three decades after the settlement," the five-judge Constitution bench said.

A separate 2011 plea by India's federal investigation agency seeking a retrial of the case had been dismissed by the Supreme Court, saying there was "no satisfactory explanation" for such a plea 14 years after the initial judgment.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Reports in Gaza: 5 dead from the impact of aid packages dropped by the USA
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
The U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, instead proposing its own six-week ceasefire plan contingent upon the release of all hostages held by Hamas
Prince William Urges End to Gaza Conflict
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel has gone ‘beyond self-defence’ in Gaza, says Labour’s Streeting
EU Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza Conflict
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
Saudi Arabia Introduces Terms for 30-Year Income Tax Exemption for Multinational Companies
Saudi FM: Establishing Palestinian state is only pathway for Mideast stability
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
Elon Musk's Starlink Gets License For Israel, Parts Of Gaza
Influencers Exploit X Platform for Profit Amidst Israel-Gaza Conflict
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
International Criminal Court's Chief "Deeply Concerned" By Rafah Bombing
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Indian female military officers commend Saudi Arabia's progress and women's empowerment
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Israel Utilizes AI Military Technology in Gaza Conflict
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
China Warns Iran to Halt Houthi Attacks or Damage Trade Ties
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Iran-backed hackers interrupt UAE TV streaming services with deepfake news
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken: The Israelis underwent dehumanization on 7.10, this does not give them the right to do this to others.
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
UK Bans Misleading "Zero Emissions" Claims for Electric Cars
Gaza's Teen Inventor Sparks Light in Displacement
Netanyahu Rejects Ceasefire Proposal, Insists On Total Victory Over Hamas
Guterres appoints independent UNRWA review panel
Private Sector Employment Hits Record High with Over 11 Million Employees in January
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
ZATCA Cautions Against Scammer Schemes
INTRA Defense Technologies inaugurates drone factory in Riyadh
×