SC to hear Gopal Ansal's foreign trip plea Monday

The Supreme Court will Monday hear a plea by real estate baron Gopal Ansal to go abroad for his business dealings.

An apex court bench of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice C. Nagappan said the matter will be heard Monday as Ansal's counsel urged the court to hear his plea for court's permission to let him travel to London and the US.

Incidentally, Friday happens to be the 17th anniversary of the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire tragedy in Delhi that claimed 59 lives and left 100 injured.

Ansal, in his application, said he will be going to London from June 16 to June 20 and to the US from June 20 to June 27 and return June 28/29, 2014.

The real estate magnate in his application said any delay in his travel plan will hit his business and in turn adversely affect 500 employees working in his companies.

An apex court bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra (since retired) March 5, 2014, had upheld the conviction of Sunil Ansal and Gopal Ansal in the Uphaar case.

However, due to differing positions on the quantum of sentence, the matter was referred to a three-judge bench.

Justice Thakur, upholding Delhi High Court verdict, said both Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal will undergo sentence of one year each.

Justice Misra, holding that "no leniency can be shown" said Ansals should undergo the maximum sentence of two years as provided under Section 304A of the IPC.

"I am of the view they deserve maximum punishment with substantial fine", Justice Misra said.

However, Justice Misra substituted the second year's sentence with a fine of Rs.100 crore, divided equally between the two brothers.

Justice Misra said this money will be used to set up a trauma centre in Dwarka, which does not have any government medical facility. The trauma centre will be an extension of the Safdarjung Hospital and will also have super speciality wing and a burns ward.

Justice Misra said the trauma centre will be set up by the Ansals on a five-acre plot to be given by the Delhi government for culpability of the Delhi Vidyut Board in the case.

She also directed that, in view of his advanced age, Sushil Ansal's period of imprisonment will be one that he has already undergone.

The trial court November 20, 2007, convicted the Ansal brothers and others under Section 403 of the IPC and awarded them two years' sentence each.

The High Court by its December 19, 2008 verdict convicted them under 304A (causing death due to rash and negligent acts) and reduced their sentence to one year each.