Bhopal gas tragedy victims say black day for justice

The Supreme Courts rejection of the petition seeking harsher punishment for the accused in the Bhopal gas tragedy case

The Supreme Courts rejection of the petition seeking harsher punishment for the accused in the Bhopal gas tragedy case evoked strong reactions here with some terming it a black day.

We had pinned our hopes on the judiciary but we are disappointed because the apex court did not understand the seriousness of the matter, said Abdul Jabbar of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan (BGPMUS),adding that the SC should have looked at the larger picture. Victims got neither compensation nor justice, Jabbar said.

Jabbar said the victims were expecting the court to give a direction to send the government officers responsible for the delay (in filing the curative petition) to jail or to slap a hefty fine on them. He recalled that the apex court had hurt the victims when it allowed the 1989 settlement between the Union Carbide Corporation and the Government of India,and when it quashed a review petition that sought to enhance charges against the accused in 1997.

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Its another black day for justice, said Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA),Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh,Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila-Purush Sangarsh Morcha,Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha and Children Against Dow Carbide.

Expressing shock and disappointment Rachna Dhingra of the BGIA referred to the observation that the 1996 judgment was not binding on the trial court. How could it expect a lower court to go against a specific order of the Supreme Court? she asked. Pointing out that survivors petitions were quashed along with the CBIs petition on Wednesday,Dhingra said the court did not comment on why the 1996 review petition filed by survivors was rejected without a single hearing.

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