Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed shock and concern at the judgment pronounced by the Bhopal chief judicial magistrate in the criminal case linked with the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster. He has raised the question whether the sentence of two years is adequate for those responsible for the worst industrial disaster that left in its wake death and destruction.
At his initiative, the Madhya Pradesh government has constituted a five-member committee of legal experts and jurists to study Bhopal chief judicial magistate’s judgment in the gas disaster case. Members of the committee include former advocate general of Madhya Pradesh and now government of India’s Additional Solicitor General Vivek Tankha, present Advocate General of Madhya Pradesh R.D. Jain, senior advocate Shantilal Lodha, former advocate general Anand Mohan Mathur and principal secretary law A.K. Mishra.
The committee has been asked to file its interim recommendations for further action within ten days and final recommendations within a month.
The chief minister has termed the judgment as disappointing.