Uphaar fire a tragedy of system: Neelam Krishnamoorthy

The parents of two of the 59 victims of Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy in 1997, have come up with a book "Trial by Fire", in which they have highlighted the need for accountability and swift justice.
The book details the suffering of Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorty while talking about their long struggle for justice.
"It is not just the story of our personal tragedy but also reveals the tragedy of the system that permits wealthy and powerful convicts responsible for heinous crimes to walk free by manipulating circumstances to suit their own ends," said Neelam at the launch of the book here last evening.

"For us the launch of the book indeed is of great significance but not necessarily one of the celebrations. Because it is a book that tells the stories of Indian tragedies," she added.
While talking about the painful journey which they faced during their long quest for justice, Neelam said, "In 1997 as we struggled to come to terms with the loss of our children (Unnati and Ujjwal), we decided to fight a legal battle to ensure justice for them believing that those responsible for the death of innocent people will be punished.
"We had no idea that 19 years down the line we will be waiting for some semblance of justice or that we will pen a book..."

Real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal in August escaped being jailed in connection with the tragedy with the Supreme Court asking them to pay a fine of Rs 30 crore each and restricting their jail term to the period already undergone by them.

Krishnamoorthys say their book and their legal battle are not acts of vengeance but an attempt to highlight the need for security in public places.
"The legal battle that we fight and the penning of the book are not the real acts of vengeance as some legal luminaries representing the convicts and Ansal brothers would like the public to believe.

"The book has inspired the desire to highlight the need for safety in public places and to warn readers of the many procedures, rules and regulations that are used to ambush the speedy and the steady delivery of justice in cases such as ours," she said.
The book talks about how, despite the odds, Krishnamoorthys plan to continue their battle for justice.
"We do not ask people to read the book to empathise with us for our loss but the greater cause that we continue to fight for is that of accountability and of the right to life.
"The book will make people aware of how trials are delayed, stretched endlessly and are used to help those convicted to slip out," she said.