New Delhi, September 3
The Delhi High Court today rejected the petition by Ansal brothers, Gopal and Sushil, who had challenged the trial court’s order summoning them for allegedly tampering with evidence in the 1997 fire accident at the Uphaar cinema hall in South Delhi. Giving the go-ahead for the prosecution of the brothers, Justice S Muralidhar also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on them.
On January 31, 2003, Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Sehgal had ordered an inquiry after some documents pertaining to the fire tragedy were found missing from the court's record room. The Delhi police later filed a chargesheet naming the brothers and two others, including a court staff.
In the main case relating to the fire, the trial court had sentenced the Ansal brothers to two years imprisonment on November 20, 2007, but Delhi High Court reduced it to one year on December 19, 2008. As many as 59 people were killed in the fire in the cinema hall on June 13, 1997.
