1997 Uphaar fire: Businessmen Ansal brothers move sessions court challenging 7-year jail term

Businessmen Gopal Ansal, Sushil Ansal, and one other moved the Sessions Court against Magistrate Court's recent order convicting and sentencing them to seven years jail for tampering with evidence in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) on Monday had sentenced seven-year imprisonment and imposed Rs 2.25-crore fine each on Sushil and Gopal Ansal for tampering with evidence.

Additional Session Judge Anil Antil on Wednesday sought a response from Delhi Police on the appeal moved by Gopal Ansal, Sushil Ansal, and one PP Batra and fixed the matter for November 15, 2021.

During the hearing, the accused objected to the locus of Association of Victims of Upahaar Tragedy, (AVUT) which was opposed by Vikas Pahwa Senior Advocate. Court then directed the prosecutor to serve the copy of the appeal and application to the complainant AVUT also.

On Monday, CMM Pankaj Sharma was sentenced to seven years jail terms to convict businessmen Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal and three others in the case related to tampering with the crucial evidence in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case. The Court also ordered to take them into custody.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate also imposed a fine of Rs 2.25 Crores against Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal each in the matter. The court while passing the order also said "After thinking overnights and nights, I have come to the conclusion that they deserve punishment."

Representing AVUT, Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, during arguments, had submitted before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma that the case revealed the arrogance of rich people, who think themselves out of the reach of law and can get relief despite committing serious offenses. He had demanded maximum punishment to the convicts. He also had submitted that businessman Ansals brothers had misused the liberty, hatched a conspiracy with court staff, and tampered with the evidence.

In the matter, Court had earlier convicted businessmen Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal along with their two employees among others in the case related to tampering with the crucial evidence in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case. The Court had found all accused guilty under sections 409, 201, 120B of IPC and pronounced the order.

Along with the Ansal brothers, a court staff Dinesh Chand Sharma and other individuals PP Batra, Har Swaroop Panwar, Anoop Singh, and Dharamvir Malhotra were booked in the tampering of evidence case.

Out of seven accused, two accused Har Swaroop Panwar and Dharamvir Malhotra died during the course of the trial.

At least 59 people died of asphyxia and over 100 others were injured in the stampede after fire broke out in Uphaar cinema on June 13, 1997, during the screening of JP Dutta's film 'Border'.

( With inputs from ANI )

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