Bill to factor in curative petition in Bhopal case

The implications of the Bhopal gas tragedy is likely to have a bearing on the proposed companies Bill 2009. The goverment would be incorporating in the Companies Bill, Supreme Court's views in the Bhopal gas tragedy case on the liability of company directors pertaining to criminal acts, said Salman Khurshid, Minister for State Corporate Affairs. "The curative petition filed by CBI on the Bhopal case is before the Supreme Court...whatever comes out of it has to be factored in the Bill as on criminal liability of directors we need to have guidance,” Khurshid said on the sidelines of a convention of Institute of Company Secretaries of India here today. “The issue is whether there is a need to reflect on new responsibilities and principles on the directors of a company. Already it is a sub-judice issue, but we need to look into the role of directors, independent directors and nominee directors and their responsibility,” he said.