Uphaar case: AAP govt recommends rejection of Ansal’s mercy plea
FIFTYNINE PEOPLE, TRAPPED IN THE BALCONY, HAD DIED OF ASPHYXIA WHEN A FIRE BROKE OUT IN UPHAAR GRAND CINEMA ON JUNE 13, 1997
NEWDELHI: The Delhi government on Tuesday recommended rejection of the mercy petition of Gopal Ansal, a convict in the Uphaar fire tragedy that claimed 59 lives 20 years ago.
Family members of the victims who died in Uphaar cinema tragedy had met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday, urging him not to consider the cinema hall’s owner, Ansal’s mercy plea.
They met the CM as the plea was sent to lieutenant governor office by the Home ministry, which forwarded to the Delhi government for its view .
“Home minister Satyendar Jain has recommended rejection of Ansal’s mercy petition,” said AAP government functionary Nagendar Sharma.
The Supreme Court (SC) had on February 9 ordered the owner of the cinema hall Ansal to serve the remaining part of his oneyear jail term in connection with Uphaar fire tragedy that had left 59 people dead 20 years ago.
Fifty-nine people, trapped in the balcony, had died of asphyxia when a fire broke out in a transformer during the screening of Bollywood movie ‘Border’ in Uphaar Grand cinema in Green Park on June 13, 1997.
They met CM under the banner of Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), formed by Neelam Krishnamoorthy to fight court cases against Ansal brothers.
“We told the CM that if a rich and powerful person like Ansal was shown mercy then it would sent a wrong signal to other wrong doers and justice would be further denied,” Krishnamoorthy said.
The apex court had on February 9 given relief to Gopal Ansal’s elder brother Sushil Ansal, considering his advanced age, by giving him the jail term already undergone by him, including the remission, in the case. Though the SC had modified its earlier order for Gopal and ordered him to serve the remaining part of his one-year imprisonment.
Both the brothers were also asked to pay R 30 crore each for setting up of a trauma centre in Delhi.