As the Bhopal Gas Tragedy marks its sombre 40th anniversary, the victims and their families continue to face a bitter reality: justice remains out of reach. The disaster, which unfolded on the night of December 2-3, 1984, when a toxic cloud of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory, killed at least 5,479 people and impacted over five lakh others, leaving survivors with lifelong health issues.
Despite the passage of four decades, the legal battle surrounding the tragedy is far from over. The case has seen an extraordinary 28 judges preside over the proceedings, with the trial spanning almost 25 years. In 2010, seven individuals were convicted, including top Union Carbide officials, for their role in the disaster. However, the sentences, each lasting just two years with a fine of Rs 1,01,750, were met with widespread outrage. Many felt the punishment was grossly insufficient given the scale of the tragedy.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an appeal seeking harsher sentences, but the Supreme Court rejected the plea. Meanwhile, the convicted individuals, who had been granted bail, filed their own appeals, arguing for acquittal. Since 2010, nine judges have heard these appeals, but the case remains unresolved.
For the victims, this prolonged judicial process has been nothing short of a tragedy in itself. Many of the convicted have since passed away, and with each passing year, the sense of frustration and despair grows. While the survivors continue to fight for justice, the slowly moving legal system has only compounded their suffering.
The then Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily had expressed his outrage in 2010, calling the verdict an example of "justice buried." His words, unfortunately, still resonate today, as the victims' calls for accountability continue to go unanswered.
In the face of mounting frustration, legal experts and advocates have urged the High Court to expedite the appeals process by designating a judge solely for this case. As the 40th anniversary of the disaster passes, one thing remains painfully clear: for those who lost everything in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, justice continues to be a distant dream.
