Bhopal gas tragedy case: SC asks Centre to clarify its position on 2010 plea to enhance compensation

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted time to the Centre to clarify if it wanted to pursue its curative petition filed earlier for enhancement of compensation to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy victims, over and above 470 million US dollor disbursed by Union Carbide.

The government has in 2010 sought additional funds of over Rs 7,400 crore from the pesticide company.

A five-judge bench presided over by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul allowed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to take an instruction in the matter by October 11.

Advocate Karuna Nundy, appearing for the victims submitted that their impleadment was allowed earlier by the court and they must be heard notwithstanding the government's stand.

Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, also for the victims, claimed the intensity of the tragedy has only increased fivefold in the number of victims and extent of injuries and deaths over the years.

The bench said it would wait for the Union government to take its stand in the matter, while also wondering if the quantum of compensation would keep on changing.

A lawyer, appearing for the company, submitted that there should be a finality to the litigation as the curative petition was filed 19 years after the review petition was decided.

In its curative plea filed in 2010, the Centre has contended that the compensation, determined in 1989, was arrived at on assumptions of truth unrelated to realities. The court had issued notice in the matter in 2011.