Uphaar Tragedy victims demand life imprisonment for Ansal brothers in evidence tampering case

By Amiya Kumar Kushwaha
New Delhi [India], November 2 (ANI): The Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) on Tuesday pleaded before a Delhi court for life imprisonment to businessmen Sushil Ansal, Gopal Ansal and others in an evidence tampering case relating to 1997 cinema fire tragedy.
Representing AVUT, Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, submitted before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Pankaj Sharma, that the case reveals the arrogance of rich people, who think they are out of the reach of law and can get relief despite committing serious offences.
He added that the accused in this case, primarily the Ansal brothers, misused the liberty granted to them and tampered with the evidence after hatching a criminal conspiracy with the court staff.
Delhi's Patiala House 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.
The district court earlier had ordered framing of charges against seven accused of abetment of offence, causing disappearance of evidence, criminal breach of trust by a public servant, and criminal conspiracy.
Sushil and Gopal Ansal had earlier approached the High Court challenging the charges framed against them for tampering with evidence.
Final arguments lasted for consecutive 40 days in the matter. The prosecution was represented by AT Ansari Public Prosecutor.
The members of the Association are either those who were injured in the fire or are relatives of those who were injured or killed in the fire.
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'. (ANI)