A five-judge special bench would pass the order on the curative petition filed by the CBI seeking prosecution of seven accused then associated with Union Carbide, under the harsher penal provision of culpable homicide not amounting to murder entailing maximum 10-year jail term.

All seven accused were awarded two-year jail by a trial court last year in the worst industrial disaster in the country, sparking country-wide outrage as they were tried in penal provision of causing death by negligent act which carried a maximum of just two-year sentence.

A separate Bench of Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly will also decide the issue relating to lifting of stay on publishing and telecasting the tapped telephonic conversations of former Samajwadi Party leader Singh with top political leaders and Bollywood stars.

The court had on February 27, 2006, restrained the media from broadcasting and publishing the conversations. Advocate Prashant Bhushan had sought revelation of the conversation after appearing in the matter on behalf of Centre for Public Interest Litigation.