SC directs NGT to defer hearing on Visakhapatnam gas leak case
Oct 29, 2020
New Delhi [India], October 29 : The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to defer its hearing on the Visakhapatnam gas leak case till the apex court further hears the matter.
Senior lawyer and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for LG Polymers, submitted before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, that the matter is listed before the NGT next week on November 3 and requested the court to defer the NGT hearing.
After that, the bench directed the NGT to defer the hearing on the matter.
"We have deposited a sum of Rs 50 crore also in this case, after this incident happened on May 7, 2020. The Andhra Pradesh High Court and the NGT had taken suo motu cognisance in the case on the same and a day later respectively," Rohatgi said.
The bench also gave the last opportunity to LG Polymers and asked it to file its response and objections to the May 28 Committee report before it within a period of 10 days from today.
"List the matter for further hearing on November 16 before the appropriate bench," Justice Lalit said and fixed the matter for further hearing to November 16.
The top court was hearing the plea filed by LG Polymers, challenging the NGT's order passed in its suo motu cognisance case, constituting a monitoring committee to look into the unfortunate Vizag gas leak tragedy in Andhra Pradesh on May 7, in which at least 10 persons died and many critically injured.
