New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) A Delhi court has allowed the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) to assist the prosecution in a fraud case against businessman Sushil Ansal.
Ansal was convicted in the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire, which killed 59 people.
The AVUTs chairperson, Neelima Krishnamoorthy, had filed an application to assist the prosecution in the case, raising certain objections in the investigation and filing of the chargesheet.
Ansal was booked by Delhi Police’s crime branch in 2019 under Section 12 of the Passport Act, which deals with obtaining a passport by suppressing information about nationality.
The FIR was also registered under IPC Sections 177 (knowingly furnishing false information to a public servant) and 181 (false statement on oath or affirmation to public servant or person authorised to administer oath) 192 (fabricating false evidence), 197 (issuing or signing false certificate) and 420 (cheating).
In an order on August 4, chief judicial magistrate Shriya Agarwal said, “The Association at the instance of which the law was set into motion in the present case ought to get a right of assisting the prosecution, to which there is no bar in law.” AVUT, the judge said, was at liberty to assist the prosecution in the present case and no prejudice would be caused to the accused.
Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa said the present case was registered through a Delhi High Court order in a writ petition filed by AVUT, and so effective right of participation could be given to the association.
Earlier, in its 8-page final report, police claimed Ansal misled the government authority on oath that he has not been convicted in any criminal proceedings by any court.
The case was lodged on the direction of the Delhi High Court while hearing a petition by Krishnamoorthy, alleging that Ansal concealed or gave false information to the authorities for renewal of his passport.
Ansal, however, surrendered his passport on August 14, 2017 “because he knew that adverse orders against him may well be passed”, the final report said.
Krishnamoorthy, who lost two children in the tragedy, has been fighting a legal battle on behalf of the victims’ families for over two decades.
Rules stipulate for a new or a re-issue or a replacement of lost or damaged passport issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the applicant has to disclose whether he is involved in any criminal case or not and to produce an no-objection certificate from the court concerned in case they are involved in any criminal prosecution.
A fire at the Uphaar cinema during the screening of Hindi film ‘Border’ on June 13, 1997 had claimed 59 lives. PTI MNR AMK AMK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.