Ansals' plea to suspend jail term in evidence tampering case dismissed

A Delhi court on Friday dismissed the pleas of real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal seeking suspension of their 7-year jail terms awarded for tampering with evidence in the 1997 case of Uphaar cinema fire which had claimed 59 lives.

Additional Sessions Judge Anil Antil dismissed Ansals' appeals filed against their conviction and jail term by a magisterial court and refused to release them on bail.

Besides challenging their conviction and punishment, Ansals had urged the sessions court to suspend their jail terms till the appeal is decided.

The case is related to tampering with the evidence in the main fire tragedy case, which had claimed 59 lives, in which the Ansals were convicted and sentenced to 2-year jail term by the Supreme Court.

The apex court however released them taking into account the prison time they had done on the condition that they pay Rs 30 crore fine each, to be used for building a trauma centre in the national capital.

The magisterial court also awarded 7-year-jail term each to former court staff Dinesh Chand Sharma and two others -- P P Batra and Anoop Singh -- and a fine of Rs 3 lakh each on the them.

The court had also imposed a fine of Rs 2.25 crore each on the Ansals.

The fire had broken out at the Uphaar cinema during the screening of the Hindi film 'Border' on June 13, 1997, claiming 59 lives.

The case was lodged on the direction of the Delhi High Court while hearing a petition by AVUT chairperson Neelam Krishnamoorthy.