Supreme Court orders Gujarat HC to trace Dahej accident victims for ₹3.27 crore

The Supreme Court of India issued an order directing the Gujarat High Court to initiate suo motu proceedings to identify and verify victims of the Dahej industrial accident so that Rs. 3,27,82,418/- held in a fixed deposit can be disbursed to them, ensuring compensation is not indefinitely delayed due to the inability to trace beneficiaries.

Who it concerns: The order concerns the Managing Director of M/s Bharat Rasayan Limited (Unit-II), the legal heirs of three deceased employees (Sudhansusekhara Baman Sadhangi, Kundan Kumar Jha, and Amit Kailasrao Bijawe), other injured persons identified in the NGT judgment, the Supreme Court Registry, and the Registrar General of the Gujarat High Court.

What the document says

• The Supreme Court directed the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court to register suo motu proceedings for four limited purposes: identifying the injured persons and legal heirs, verifying their identity and entitlement, obtaining records from the company and authorities, and disbursing the amounts due.
• The Court rejected the appellant-company's plea that claimants are not traceable, stating that this inability cannot indefinitely postpone disbursal.
• The fixed deposit of Rs. 3,27,82,418/-, maturing on 17.09.2026, is to be renewed for one year or until transferred to the High Court, whichever is earlier.
• The proceedings are limited to identifying and verifying beneficiaries and disbursing funds; they do not reopen the quantum of compensation awarded by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Also in the document

• The compensation amount stems from an NGT judgment dated 29.05.2024, which awarded additional compensation to legal heirs of deceased employees and injured persons.
• The Supreme Court had previously directed the company to deposit the compensation with its Registry in August 2024 as an ad hoc measure because beneficiaries were not readily traceable.
• The final appeal was disposed of on 07.08.2026, where the Supreme Court declined to interfere with the NGT's environmental compensation but did not include directions for disbursing the accident compensation held in the Registry, prompting this current order.