March 14, 2023: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday dismissed the Centre’s plea for compensation for the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims.

The judgment was pronounced by a five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul.

While dismissing the plea, the Supreme Court said, “The sum of Rs 50 crores lying with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shall be utilized by the Government of India to satisfy pending claims”.

The bhopal gas tragedy was a chemical accident that happened on December 2, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The incident occurred when about 45 tons of gas methyl isocyanate escaped from an insecticide plant.

Over 20,000 people were killed after the accident and around ten thousands of people tried to escape from Bhopal.

Later, most of the survivors suffered respiratory problems, blindness, etc.