Twelve guilty in Uphaar case

NEW DELHI: Ten years after a major fire engulfed Uphaar cinema hall leading to the death of 59 people and injury to 114, a trial court on Tuesday convicted owner businessmen Sushil Ansal, Gopal Ansal and 10 others — among them six government officials — holding them responsible for the tragedy.
While additional sessions judge Mamta Sehgal held the Ansals and three others guilty of causing death by an rash and negligent act, seven other accused — four employees of Ansals and three officials of Delhi Vidyut Board — have been convicted for a graver offence, culpable homicide not amounting to murder.They now face a a possible maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Walking into a packed courtroom judge Sehgal, who has presided over the trial for the past seven years, put her palms together, closed her eyes and prayed for a few seconds before pronouncing the verdict from the last page of the 568-page judgment convicting all the 12 accused in the case.
The family members of the victims, many of whom were present in the packed courtroom, cheered the verdict. They were happy that the guilty had been brought to book. Soon after the verdict, they went to the small memorial to the victims outside the now defunct Uphaar theatre and lit candles.
The Ansal brothers were found guilty under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code which deal with causing hurt, endangering personal safety and violating the Cinematograph Act. Three MCD officials, Shyam Sunder Sharma and N D Tiwari and H S Panwar of the Delhi Fire Service were also found guilty under 304A. The maximum punishment for this in a two-year jail term.