Patiala House court orders de-sealing of Upahar cinema

New Delhi [India], August 2 (ANI): Patiala House Court on Wednesday ordered de-sealing of Upahar Cinema hall and said no purpose would be served in keeping the property sealed.

The District and Sessions Judge Sanjay Garg on Wednesday passed the order on the plea moved by M/S Ansal Theatres and Clubotels Pvt Ltd and since the trial has reached finality, absolutely no purpose would be served to keep the property sealed. The application is thereby allowed and the property in question to be de-sealed and released to the applicant being the rightful owner. The Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy happened in the year of 1997 during the screening of the movie Border. Fifty-nine people died in the tragedy, while 103 were seriously injured in the resulting stampede.

Sr. Advocate Maithai M Paikaday for the applicant company submitted that all the proceedings civil as well as criminal emanating from the alleged incident dated June 13, 1996, stand concluded and now the property is required to be released in favour of the applicant.

Neelam Krishnamoorthy, President of the Association of Victims of Upahar Theatre (AVUT), opposed the plea submitted that the applicant’s company had taken certain loans from various Public Sector Banks against the said property if the same is released to the applicant, the applicant may transfer the same which may affect the rights of the PSU bank.

In July last year, the District Judge of Patiala House Court Dharmesh Sharma ordered the release of real estate tycoons Sushil and Gopal Ansal against the jail term already undergone them in a case of tampering with evidence in the case related to the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire.

Sushil and Gopal Ansal had challenged their conviction and sentencing to 7-year jail terms for tampering with evidence in a case related to the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire, which had claimed 59 lives.

At least 59 people died of asphyxia and over 100 others were injured in the stampede after a fire broke out in Uphaar cinema on June 13, 1997, during the screening of JP Dutta’s film ‘Border’.