Disappointed by the Supreme Court Decision to let real estate barons, Sushil and Gopal Ansal free on payment of Rs 30 crore each as absolution for the Uphar fire tragedy, victims and relatives told The Hindu that they would be filing a review petition.
Association of Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy member, Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who has led an 18-year battle for justice, told The Hindu that there was no other recourse other than filing a review. “The court refused the State a hearing. Now there is no other way but to file a review. CBI will be moving one soon, the AVUT will also join cause,” Mr. Krishnamoorthy said.
PTI reported that the Supreme Court, on Thursday, declined the Central Bureau of Investigation's plea that it get 15 more minutes for advancing arguments on the quantum of sentence, they thought the brothers deserved.
"It will not be proper. We have already passed the order," a three-judge bench headed by Justice A R Dave said when senior advocate Harish Salve, who has been representing CBI in this case, sought 15 minutes time to argue some of the points in the matter.
Fifty-nine people, trapped in the balcony of the theatre in South Delhi, had died of asphyxia following the fire and over 100 were injured in the subsequent stampede on 13 June 1997 during the screening of Bollywood film “Border”.
A bench of justices T.S. Thakur and Gyan Sudha Mishra (since retired) had on 5 March 2014, held real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal guilty, but differed on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to them.