The organisations working with the survivors of the December 84 Union Carbide disaster are hopeful that there will be an end to the long drawn out criminal appeal proceedings pending against Union Carbide India Limited, and seven of its Indian officials since 2010. In a hearing held on Friday, the District Judge of Bhopal has granted another date for hearing to Union Carbide and its convicted officials to present their final arguments from April 25-29, 2022 from 11 am to 12:30 pm, 2022 and has also ordered to list the matter for final judgement on May 24, 2022.
Union Carbide India Limited and its convicted officials have ensured that no arguments on the merit of appeal takes place in the court of District Judge since August 2021 by employing all sorts of delay tactics. The prosecution agency, CBI in its application dated March 25, 2022 has stated, "Instant criminal appeal is pending before this Hon'ble Court since 2010 and accused applicant is playing all tactics to derail the due process of law and causing inordinate delay in the administration of justice by filing such petition. There is no order of any higher courts which stops this court from hearing this appeal. While this criminal appeal has continued for more than 11years, 2 convicted officials (KV Shetty, Vijay Gokhale) have already died as free men, without paying for their crimes and the rest of the convicted officials don't even show up for hearing dates, said Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information & Action.