UK Supreme Court says Zambia villagers could sue Vedanta in England court

Nearly 2,000 Zambian villagers have the right to sue mining company Vedanta in the English courts, the Supreme Court in London said on Wednesday. India-listed Vedanta, which delisted from London last year but maintains a legal base in Britain, appealed a lower-court ruling that a case in which villagers alleged their land was polluted by a Vedanta unit could be heard in England.

But the Supreme Court said the Zambian villagers could pursue their case through the English courts. Wednesday's judgment has resonance for other multinational companies with a base in London and facing legal challenges about their operations abroad from local residents. 

(With inputs from agencies.)