Uphaar verdict 'travesty of justice'

NEW DELHI: Terming the verdict in the 10-year-old Uphaar fire tragedy case as a "travesty of justice", the victims' kin on Tuesday expressed their intention to move the Delhi High Court against conviction of Ansal brothers under provisions of law which invite "lighter punishment".

Gopal and Sushil Ansal, the owners of Uphaar cinema where 59 people were killed in 1997, were convicted by a court here for causing death by negligent act. The offence carries a maximum punishment of two years of imprisonment. The punishment would be pronounced tomorrow.

The victims' family members said that even if the accused were awarded the maximum penalty of two years, it would still not be enough.

"Even if the punishment comes to two years, it would roughly work out to 12 days (of imprisonment) per deceased," said Neelam Krishnamurthy heading the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT).
 
She said "the Ansals had full knowledge of the lapses in the cinema hall and those provisions of law which invite life imprisonment should have been invoked against them."

Dubbing the judgement as a "travesty of justice", she added "You give a death sentence for killing one person and for killing 59 people how could you (convict accused under sections which) give two years, that is something I cannot understand?"

Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Sehgal today convicted 12 accused. While seven accused were convicted for offences which invite life imprisonment, the other five - including Ansals -- were held guilty for offences which carry a maximum punishment of two years imprisonment.

Krishnamurthy said the Association is not satisfied with the verdict and will approach the High Court.

"I am not satisfied with the verdict and we will go to the High Court and fight till the end. The judgement will serve as a deterrent to the government agencies, who will now hopefully work carefully," Krishnamurthy said.

For some members of the victims' family, Tuesday's verdict marked the end of a protracted legal battle that spanned over a decade.
 
Rita Sahni, the mother of a victim Tarika, said, "after this judgement my child's soul will rest in peace. She was to get married (before the incident on June 13, 1997)... by now we would have become grand parents."

Her husband Naveen Sahni said, "we have got justice but it is not complete, as the convicts should have been tried under more stringent provisions of law."
 
Shekhar Krishnamurthy, whose children were killed in the blaze, said that "we had to face threat, intimidation and harassment for the last ten years".

"My children will not return, but the verdict has shown the way. Justice has prevailed and money power have been defeated," he said, while talking to reporters outside the Patiala House Court complex.
 
Prem Kumar counsel for Sushil and Gopal Ansal, said "Ansals are innocent as they had nothing to do with the day-to-day running of the cinema hall when the unfortunate incident took place. We will avail of all the rights afforded by law."

Besides Ansals, the court convicted Uphaar cinema's three managers, gate-keeper and three Delhi Vidyut Board officials. They were held guilty for offences which carry a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
 
The court also held the Ansal brothers guilty of violating the Cinematography Act.