Uphaar victims’ kin request CM to reject Gopal Ansal’s mercy plea

NEWDELHI:Family members of the victims that died in Uphaar cinema fire tragedy met chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday urging him not to consider Gopal Ansal’s mercy plea in which he has demanded clemency from the President of India.

The Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) met the CM as the plea has been forwarded to the Delhi government and Delhi lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal by the home ministry.

The Supreme Court (SC) had on February 9 ordered real estate baron and owner of the cinema hall, Ansal, to serve the remaining part of his one-year jail term in connection with the case.

Following this, he had filed a mercy petition before the President through senior advocate and Member of Parliament Ram Jethmalani. The President forwarded it to the ministry of home affairs (MHA). The MHA has sought response from the from the Delhi government and the L-G.

The delegation of victims was led by Neelam Krishnamoorthy, who formed AVUT to fight court cases against the Ansal brothers. “We told the CM that if a rich and powerful person like Ansal was shown mercy then it would send a wrong signal to other wrong doers and justice would be further denied,” said Krishnamoorthy. “We requested CM to reject the mercy plea filed by Ansal.”

Fifty-nine people died when a fire broke out in a transformer in the basement parking during the screening of ‘Border’ in Uphaar cinema in south Delhi’s Green Park on June 13, 1997.