Uphaar fire: Court to hear arguments on charges against Kanth

A Delhi court on Saturday fixed November 30 as the date for hearing arguments on framing of charges against former IPS officer Amod Kanth for his alleged culpability in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma set the date for the hearing after Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) informed him that high court had dismissed Kanth's plea against the 2010 trial court order summoning him.

Kanth has been accused of allowing extra seats at Uphaar cinema hall where 59 movie-watchers died in a blaze.

Earlier, the magisterial court had refrained from passing any order after it was informed that high court is seized of the similar issue and had reserved its verdict on the summoning of Kanth.

Dismissing Kanth's plea on October 3, high court also rejected his argument that he cannot be tried for allegedly allowing extra seats in Uphaar as "sanction to prosecute" him had not been procured.

The court direction came while hearing the case against Kanth, who has been booked under Section 304A (causing death by rash and negligent act), 337 (causing hurt by an act which endangers human life) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act which endangers human life) of IPC and also under the Cinematography Act.

Fifty-nine persons were asphyxiated to death and over 100 others injured in the fire at Uphaar cinema hall here on June 13, 1997, during a screening of Hindi blockbuster 'Border'.

A lower court in August 2010 rejected the CBI report which absolved Kanth of all criminal culpability in the tragedy. On a plea by Uphaar cinema victims, the trial judge had summoned Kanth on August 12, 2010.