Nearly eight years after the Bhopal gas disaster, the legal battle over a settlement continues. But for the efforts of public interest agencies and public spirited advocates, the victims and the legal system would have been mired in a horrendous plight

The Supreme Court ruled recently, in reference to Beyond Genocide, a film on the Bhopal gas disaster, that Doordarshan cannot curtail the Constitutional right to freedom of expression

All THAT the government is earning from the Bhopal disaster is interest: Rs 20 crore daily from the Rs 715 crore deposited by the Union Carbide as compensation money. Nearly eight years after the

Order passed in the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Bhopal regarding attachment of the properties of UCC (USA).

Judgement on Bhopal Gas Disaster on the review petitions filed by various petitioners was announced by the five judge constitutional bench on 3rd October, 1991.

In the suit filed by the Union of India against Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) filed before the Southern District Court at New York, the presiding judge directed the utilisation of 5 Million Dollars deposited by UCC towards Interim Relief Fund, for affording relief to the victims of the Bhopal Gas Leak disaster through the Indian Red Cross Society.

Supreme Court judgement dated 14/02/1989 on Bhopal Gas Disaster. The Court was of the opinion that the case was fit for an overall settlement between the parties covering all litigations, claims, rights and liabilities related to and arising out of the Disaster.

It is difficult to imagine how a greater tragedy could occur to a peacetime population than the deadly gas leak in Bhopal on the night of December 2-3, 1984. The survivors of the dead victims, the injured and others who suffered, or may in the future suffer due to the disaster, are entitled to compensation.

An Act to confer certain powers on the Central Government to secure that claims arising out of, or connected with, the Bhopal gas leak disaster are dealt with speedily, effectively, equitably and to the best advantage of the claimants and for matters incidental thereto. This Act may be called the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985.

The deaths in Bhopal caused by Union Carbide's noxious fumes should not have happened at all. Equally unnecessary and unwarranted is the continuing suffering of those who managed to survive. Situations that caused a tragedy of such magnitude could and should have been averted.

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