Fast track justice delivery system needed: Moily

New Delhi, June 7 (ANI): Reacting to the verdict of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Union Minister for Law and Justice M Veerappa Moily on Monday said there is the need for fast-tracking such cases and ensuring proper investigation.

"The long-dragging legal fight in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy had been most unfortunate. Delay in justice is like denial of justice," said Moily.

"It is most unfortunate that it took so long to give the verdict. his needs to be addressed," he added.

The Magistrate Court in Bhopal on Monday granted bail to the seven Indian Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) officials convicted in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and released them on submission of a surety of Rs 25,000.

Earlier this morning, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Mohan P Tiwari convicted all eight accused on the grounds of death due to negligence under Section 304 (a) for one of India's most horrific industrial disasters.

The eight accused are Keshub Mahendra, Vijay Gokhle, Kishore Kamdar, J Mukund, S P Choudhary, K V Shetty and S I Qureshi and R B Roy Choudhary.

Out of the accused R B Roy Choudhary, then former Assistant Works Manager Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL), Mumbai, died during the trial.

The FIR in the tragedy was filed on December 3, 1984 and the case was transferred to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on December 6, 1984. The CBI filed the charge sheet after investigation on December 1, 1987.

In the early hours of December 3, 1984, around 40 metric tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked into the atmosphere and was carried by wind to surrounding slums.

The government says around 3,500 died in the disaster. Rights activists, however, claim that 25,000 people have died so far. (ANI)