Uphaar fire: HC asks trial court to frame charges in tampering

The Delhi High Court today said the trial court should make an "endeavour" to frame charges against Uphaar cinema owners for allegedly tampering with the evidence in the 1997 fire incident case in which 59 people were killed.
"The trial court will make an endeavour to frame charge on next date of hearing," Justice G S Sistani said, while asking for an update on the issue on December 16, the next date of hearing.
The court's order came on a plea filed by the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy seeking speedy trial of the case, which was pending before the lower court since 2006, against Gopal Ansal and his brother Sushil Ansal and also a terminated court staff Dinesh Gupta.

AVUT convenor Neelam Krishnamurthy also told the court that despite the charge sheet having filed in 2008, the charge was yet to be framed.
"List the matter for December 16. Order passed today will be brought to the notice of the concerned court," Justice Sistani said.
At least 59 people died of asphyxia following the fire in the basement of Uphaar cinema hall on June 13, 1997.
At present the removal, evidence-tampering and mutilation of several important documents of the case kept in judicial custody in the trial court here in 2003 is pending in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Bansal. The matter is listed before the trial court on December 2.

In the plea, the victims had said "because tampering and mutilation of a judicial file is an egregious offence against the entire justice delivery system and as such the case (titled State vs Dinesh Chandra Sharma) deserves to be tried expeditiously in a time-bound manner with utmost priority on a day-to-day basis.