Keshub Mahindra gets bail, others not so lucky

The sessions court granted bail on Thursday to business baron Keshub Mahindra, a convict in the 26-year-old Bhopal gas tragedy case.

Mahindra was chairman of Union Carbide Corporation (India) when the lethal gas leak from its plant killed thousands of people in 1984.

Judge Subhash Kakde suspended Mahindra’s two-year imprisonment sentence. Mahindra, however, would have to pay Rs1 lakh surety with a condition that he wouldn’t leave the country without the court’s permission and attend all future court proceedings.

The court was yet to take a decision on the petitions filed by other six accused seeking similar relief.

Chief judicial magistrate Mohan P Tiwari had on June 7 awarded sentences against Mahindra, former managing director Vijay Gokhle, former vice-president Kishore Kamdar, former works manager J Mukund, former production manager SP Choudhary, former plant superintendent KV Shetty and former operator SI Qureshi.