The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to Sushil and Gopal Ansal, owners of the Uphaar cinema who were sentenced to two years jail term in the 11-year-old fire tragedy, on CBIs plea seeking imposition of fresh conditions while releasing their passports for going abroad.
New Delhi, Mar 25 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to Sushil and Gopal Ansal, owners of the Uphaar cinema who were sentenced to two years jail term in the 11-year-old fire tragedy, on CBI's plea seeking imposition of fresh conditions while releasing their passports for going abroad.
A total of 59 cine goers including women and children, were killed in a devastative fire in the Uphaar cinema during the screening of Hindi film Border on June 13, 1997.
In December last year, the Ansal brothers, presently out on bail, and 10 others including their employees and some DVB officials were convicted by the trial court for causing death due to their negligent acts.
Issuing notices to the Ansal brother, Justice H R Malhotra sought their replies by April 8 on a CBI's application.
The CBI counsel stated that the trial was over and the convicts have moved their appeals before this court and no lower court should hear the cinema owners' plea for release of their passports.
Their passports are presently in the custody of the trial court as they are facing another criminal case of tampering with evidence in the Uphaar fire case.
During the trial before the court of Additional Sessions Judge, the Ansal brothers had allegedly tried to tamper with some documents including the cheques, which they had issued as directors of cinema hall in order to counter the CBI claim that they were not the directors of the hall when the fire took place.
ANI