Uphaar cinema tragedy: Delhi court issues show cause notice to Delhi Police

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Monday issued a show-cause notice to Delhi Police for providing misleading information related to the prosecution of Sushil Ansal, convicted for the Uphaar cinema hall tragedy, claiming that the latter committed fraud while getting his passport renewed.

New Delhi:Delhi's Patiala House Court on Monday issued a show-cause notice to Delhi Police for providing misleading information related to the prosecution of Sushil Ansal, convicted for the Uphaar cinema hall tragedy, claiming that the latter committed fraud while getting his passport renewed.

The bench of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma issued the notice to Investigating Officer on the basis of an application by the complainant, which noted that Delhi's Lieutenant Governor had given permission for prosecution back on September 16, 2021, further stating that the information was also relayed to the office of Delhi Police Commissioner on the same day.

The notice comes at the backdrop of Delhi Police earlier informing the court on January 31, 2022, that permission from the LG necessary to prosecute Ansal was still pending. The court has asked for a reply from the IO regarding the apparent inconsistency.

In the charge sheet filed in the case, the police have said that Ansal, the convict in the Uphaar cinema tragedy, deliberately concealed criminal cases pending against him in order to obtain a passport.

The document noted that Ansal presented a fake affidavit before the Regional Passport Office, stating he is not convicted by any court - a necessity to acquire a passport via Tatkal - before getting his passport back in 2013.

This had led to an FIR being filed against Ansal. Meanwhile, a petition lodged by the president of Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy, (AVUT) Neelam Krishnamoorthy, alleged that Ansal had deliberately given false information when applying for the additional booklet of the passport.

On June 13, 1997, 59 people died of suffocation and 100 were injured due to a stampede after a fire broke out during the screening of 'Border' at Uphaar Cinema in Delhi's Green Park Cinema.