Convicted 7 challenge Bhopal case verdict

Setting in motion another round of litigation,former officials of the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL),who were convicted in the Bhopal gas tragedy...

Setting in motion another round of litigation,former officials of the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL),who were convicted in the Bhopal gas tragedy,on Monday challenged the June 7 verdict of the CJM court.

The verdict had triggered a wave of public outrage across India,both for the low quantum of punishment and the delay it took to bring to justice those involved in the disaster.

Seven officials of the Indian subsidiary of the Union Carbide Corporation were convicted of criminal negligence and sentenced to two years in jail,a charge that enabled them to get out immediately on bail. The court had slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh against each of the accused while the UCIL was fined Rs 5 lakh. The eighth accused had died during the trial.

All the seven accused,including then non-executive chairman Keshub Mahindra,have now filed separate appeals against the judgment. Advocate Amit Desai who defended Mahindra in the trial will again represent the octogenarian industrialist. The other convicts include: Vijay Gokhle,Kishore Kamdar,J N Mukund,S P Choudhary,K V Shetty and S I Quershi.The accused had time till July 7 to challenge their conviction.