NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the city police on a plea by real estate tycoon Sushil Ansal seeking to set aside his conviction and sentence for tampering with evidence in the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire case.
Sushil Ansal completed his jail term in this case pertaining to the fire incident on June 13, 1997, that left 59 dead. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued notice to the Delhi Police on the 83-year-old Ansal’s petition and listed the matter for further hearing on December 13.
Meanwhile, the high court issued a bailable warrant against Ansal’s then employee P P Batra, who was also convicted in the same case, as neither he nor any lawyer on his behalf was present in the court.
The high court was hearing two separate pleas ‘ one by Sushil Ansal challenging his conviction and sentence and another by the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy seeking enhancement of the punishment awarded to the convicts in the evidence tampering case.
A magisterial court awarded seven-year jail term to the real estate barons. The District Judge on July 19 modified the magisterial court’s order on sentence and ordered the release of Sushil and Gopal Ansal, former court staff Dinesh Chandra Sharma and Ansal’s then employee Batra against their already undergone jail term since November 8, 2021.