MP High Court has allowed the petitioner to implead the State Information Officer, Madhya Pradesh as respondent in a contempt case concerning to the Bhopal Gas affected persons.
The contempt petition is filed by the Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila Udyog Sanghathan and others for compliance of the Apex court order on August 2013, the Apex court set up the monitoring committee to take steps for operationalize medical surveillance, computerization of medical information, publication of ‘health booklets’, providing smart cards, etc. for the Bhopal Gas affected persons.
On July 1, 2022, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vishal Mishra during hearing of the contempt petition issued the order allowed the petitioner to implead the State Information Officer, Madhya Pradesh as party to these proceedings.
ND Jaiprakash appeared inperson for the Bhopal gas affected persons with amicus curiae Senior Advocate Naman Nagrath said the computerization of the medical records of the gas affected persons is still pending despite the Apex Court’s directives therefore the State Information Officer be impleaded as party to the petition.
Presently there are 4.50 lakh Bhopal gas affected persons registered, Jaiprakash said.
On April 13, 2022, the high court order said “this contempt petition is pending since last seven years and respondents have filed affidavit after affidavit, but the orders and direction of Apex Court and also this court remain on paper with only lip-service done”.
Further the court order said “this court is of the considered view that henceforth this contempt petition shall not be treated as an execution application. If the orders of the Apex Court and this court are found to be not executed, we will ask the officers concerned to show cause as regards punishment under the Contempt of Courts Act”.
