Uphaar fire tragedy: Sushil, Gopal Ansal get 7 years in jail for evidence tampering

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Nov 08, 2021: A Delhi court imposed seven-year jail term and a fine of Rs 2.25 crore each on Ansal brothers, Sushil and Gopal Ansal, in connection with the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case.

 

The accused were convicted for the offence of tampering with the evidence on October 8. The court had called for income and asset records to consider the quantum of fine that will be imposed on them.

On Monday, the court imposed a fine of Rs 2.25 crore each on Ansal brothers.The court also awarded 7-year-jail term each to former court staff Dinesh Chand Sharma and two others -- P P Batra and Anoop Singh-- and a fine of Rs 3 lakh each.

As per Delhi court’s order, all expenses of the complainant, Uphaar Victims Association, in course of the long trial will be borne by the Ansals. After that the compensation will be paid to those who lost family members in the tragedy.

The case is related to tampering with the evidence in the main fire tragedy case in which the Ansals were convicted and sentenced to 2-year jail term by the Supreme Court.

Industrialists Sushil and Gopal Ansal owned the Uphaar Cinema where a fire killed 59 people during the screening of Hindi movie ’Border’ on June 13, 1997.
A trial court had in 2015 convicted the Ansal brothers, who owned the theatre.

The Supreme Court had, however, allowed the Ansal brothers to walk free with a fine of Rs 60 crore, while adding that the two were not required to go to prison.

The verdict had created an uproar as Ansal brothers had individually undergone just five to six months imprisonment each.

Courtesy:India Today