SC denies relief to Gopal Ansal, tells him to surrender by Mar 20

DELHIBASED BUILDER GOPAL ANSAL HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 1YEAR IMPRISONMENT FOR 1997 UPHAAR CINEMA FIRE TRAGEDY

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to strike down the jail term of Delhibased builder Gopal Ansal, who has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment for 1997 Uphaar cinema fire tragedy.

A special bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi refused to alter its February verdict that sent the owner of Uphaar cinema to jail for a year.

Ansal has already spent a little over four months in Tihar jail, and he is required to serve seven more months in jail.

The court, however, gave him more time to surrender, even as the earlier deadline expired on Thursday.

He has to present himself before the jail authorities by March 20.

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Gopal Ansal, said he deserved “a clean acquittal.”

“But I am asking only for parity with his brother.” Gopal’s elder brother, Sushil Ansal (77) — a co-convict and co-owner of Uphaar — was spared a jail term due to his age and ailments.

Jethmalani said Gopal was surviving on charity and deserved to be given parity with his brother as his health condi tion has worsened. “My plea should be considered on the ground of humanity and law,” the advocate said, failing to impress the bench.

The court also dismissed Association for Victims o Uphaar Tragedy’s (AVUT) peti tion requesting it to send Sushi behind bars. AVUT’S lawyer senior advocate KTS Tulsi, said he was not pressing the application.

Although by a 2:1 verdict the top court had in its February 9 order found Sushil guilty, it had sentenced him to just the period he already served in jail. He was given relief due to his age.