Details of Bhopal gas tragedy already in public domain, says HC, refuses to stay web series release
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court has refused to stay the release of the web series "The Railway Men The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984", citing that the details of the event were already available in the public domain.
A vacation bench of Justice Arif Doctor on November 15 dismissed the petitions filed by two erstwhile employees of Union Carbide India Limited, who claimed that the series' depiction of the events leading to the tragedy and its cause may cause prejudice to them.
One of the petitioners was in charge of the MIC plant as production manager, and the other was in charge of the pesticides factory of the UCIL.
The petitioners Satya Prakash Choudhry and J Mukund were convicted in the case. They later filed appeals against the conviction, which is pending.
The high court, while refusing to stay the release of the series, noted that the petitioners have failed to make out a "very strong and compelling prima facie case that the web series contains defamatory, slanderous or libellous material".
"It cannot be disputed that the Bhopal gas tragedy was a most terrible and unfortunate event which made headlines and continued to remain in the news not only nationally but internationally for several years," the court said.
The gas leak and the events surrounding it have been discussed and examined over the years, and they form the basis of several documentaries, movies, books and so on, which are available in the public domain, it said.
Refusing any relief by way of injunction, the bench held that the web series was neither a documentary nor narration of facts but is simply stated to be inspired by true events, which are all in the public domain.
It further noted that the petitioners were seeking a stay on the release of the series solely on the grounds that it could potentially cause grave injustice to them.
It said that the petitioners were found guilty way back in 2010 and the contents of the trial and judgment are available in the public domain.
The court said the makers of the series have included a disclaimer before each episode stating that it was a work of fiction inspired by real events.
The petitioners, in their pleas, sought an injunction on the release of the series, citing certain inhibitions over the depiction of the cause of the tragedy.
The pleas claimed that they had no objection to the depiction of the role of those involved in the rescue work but had an issue with the portrayal of the cause/events leading up to the gas leak.
The depiction of events in the web series would possibly gravely prejudice the ongoing judicial proceedings against them, they said.
The makers of the series Yash Raj Films Private Limited said the pleas were baseless and misconceived and that the petitioners are not named, identified or blamed for the gas leak in the series, which is slated to release on November 18.
More than 3,000 people were killed, and lakhs were affected in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy that also caused environmental damage.
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If you have a conscience, apologize to the people: R Ashoka slams Yathindra over Nalwadi comparison
Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.
In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”
He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.
Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.
While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.
In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.
