‘Bhopal unlikely to reopen’
The government is not likely to succeed in reopening the settlement issue in the Bhopal gas tragedy case, says noted jurist Fali S. Nariman.
“No, I don’t think so,” he said on whether government will succeed in reopening the settlement with Union Carbide with the hope of increasing the compensation amount f
or the victims of the 1984 disaster. Mr Nariman, who was the lead lawyer of Union Carbide in the gas leak case, said on a TV talk show, “a settlement is a settlement and unless there is some fraud involved, it’s never reopened.”
He said the court had made it clear that it would be the responsibility of the government to make up for the extra amount even if it was assumed that the quantum reached was wrong.
The Supreme Court had fixed the compensation amount at $470 million in its verdict in February 1989. Mr Nariman replied in the affirmative when being asked whether the 1989 settlement was full and final and did not believe that the Supreme will reopen the settlement and increase the compensation paid by Union Carbide.
Under attack over the gas tragedy issue, the government had on June 24 decided to push for extradition of former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson and ascertain the liability of Dow Chemicals besides announcing a Rs 1265.56 crore package for relief and remediation.
“Yeah, I think I was described along with others as a fallen angel. I am no angel, of course, but nor am I a devil,” he said. —PTI
Post new comment