NEW DELHI : There was no relief to real estate baron and co-owner of Uphaar cinema hall owner Gopal Ansal in the Uphaar tragedy case with the Supreme Court today refusing to defer the matter after holiday vacation.
Gopal Ansal was seeking more time to surrender but the bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi, and also comprising Justices Navin Sinha and J Chelameshwar, denied to hear the application.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed Gopal Ansal to surrender tomorrow. Senior veteran criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Gopal, sought deferment of his surrender.
The Apex Court asked him to mention the application before three – judge bench of the Apex Court tomorrow 1030 hrs.
Jethmalani sought more time for his client’s surrender, and told the court that he was not in town for the next two days, so time should be given, to which the Apex Court rejected his plea.
Fifty nine people, trapped in the balcony of the theatre in South Delhi, had died of asphyxia following the fire and more than 100 were injured in the subsequent stampede on 13 June 1997 during the screening of Bollywood Hindi film “Border”.
The fire broke out during the 1500 hrs to 1800 hrs screening of the movie. Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost their only daughter Unnati and son Ujwal in the Uphaar fire tragedy 18 years ago, are fighting the case for the victims.
Krishnamurthy had sought more stringent punishment so that such incidents do not happen in India again in the future. (agencies)
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