The Hindu : New Delhi News : Longer wait for justice in Uphaar case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Longer wait for justice in Uphaar case

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Uphaar cinema fire tragedy victims’ long wait for justice has been prolonged further by nearly a month with the trial court on Monday fixing November 20 as the date for pronouncing judgment. Last month, on September 5, the court had fixed October 22 for announcing the date on which the verdict would be pronounced.

On Monday, Additional Sessions Judge Mamata Sehgal initially set the date for “around November 16”. However, counsel for the prosecution as well as the accused requested the court to give a fixed date and delete the word “around” in the order. The court then fixed November 20.

Additional arguments

The court said it needed more time to go through additional written arguments submitted by five of the accused, including Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal.The arguments were filed on October 12, to which the CBI had filed its reply.

The two sets of documents run into hundreds of pages. It was on September 5, the date originally fixed for announcing the judgment, that the two accused had requested the court for permission to file additional written arguments. The court did not allow this.

The Ansals, along with three Uphaar cinema managers, then approached the High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court for permission to file additional written arguments.

The deferment of the date for judgment by yet another month came as a disappointment to the victims’ families who had turned up at the Patiala House courts.

Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy convenor Neelam Krishnamurthy alleged that the accused were using delaying tactics.

At least 59 people were killed and several others injured in the fire tragedy ten years ago -- on June 13, 1997 -- in Uphaar cinema where the Hindi film “Border” was being screened.

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