Uphaar case: HC issues notice to Ansals

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High court on Thursday issued notices to convicted Ansal brothers and three others, including the CBI, on a petition filed by families of the victims of the Uphaar tragedy.
    
Justice H R Malhotra, admitting the revision petition of Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), seeking enhancement of punishment awarded to theatre owners Gopal and Sushil Ansal, two MCD officials S S Sharma and N D Tiwari and Delhi Fire Service staff H S Panwar, asked them to respond to the notices by January 21.
    
Senior advocate K T S Tulsi, appearing for AVUT, submitted that there was enough evidence for convicting Ansal brothers and three others under Section 304 Part II (Culpable homicide not amounting to  murder) of the IPC, which attracts maximum punishment of 10 years rigorous imprisonment.
    
On Tuesday, AVUT had approached the High Court seeking enhancement of punishment of two-year jail sentence awarded to Ansal brothers and three others in the fire tragedy case.
    
A trial court had convicted all the 12 accused under various provisions of the IPC for causing death of 59 cinegoers who were asphyxiated during the screening of the Hindi blockbuster 'Border' inside Uphaar cinema on June 13, 1997.