Kejriwal assures support to Uphaar tragedy victim

Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) convener Neelam Krishnamoorthy, who met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding the Supreme Court's ruling on the case, said on Friday that the latter has assured his support.

"We met Kejriwal, who promised that he is going to look into the matter and ensured that at least Delhi has a law to deal with manmade disasters," Krishnamoorthy, who lost her two children in the incident, told the media here.

"He said that he is taking legal advice and added that the Delhi Government has enough money to build trauma centre and we victims can decide its name," she added.

Krishnamoorthy also used the occasion to hit back at veteran lawyer Ram Jethmalani for calling her an "insane woman" on the television.

"Yes, I am insane and the Ansals and their lawyers have made me insane by continuously threatening me, intimating me and tampering with the evidence to secure justice," she said.

"If fighting for justice for children for 18 long years is insanity, then I am insane," Krishnamoorthy added.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday let off Ansal brothers in connection with their role in the case, but asked them to pay a fine of Rs. 60 crores within three months.

The ruling means that there will not be any jail term for Gopal and Sushil Ansal.

On June 13, 1997, 59 people were killed when the Uphaar Cinema exploded in flames during a movie, leading to a stampede.

The cinema was engulfed in flames when an overheated generator exploded in the building's basement.

Most of the victims were trapped in the balcony and suffocated to death.