NEW DELHI: The Uphaar victims association today said their stand has been vindicated by the Supreme Court judgement upholding the two-year jail term for the Ansal brothers but felt if they are not made to serve the sentence then the fine of Rs 60 crores amounts to "blood money".
"We have been saying right from the beginning that this is a case where maximum sentence should be awarded and our stand has been vindicated as the Supreme Court has awardedthem the maximum sentence.
"But, if they are made to not serve the jail term, is it not blood money," asked Neelam Krishnamurthy, who led Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy, reacting to the order posted on the Supreme Court's website today.
Regarding the age factor of Sushil and Gopal Ansal considered by the apex court while observing that sentence awarded to them shall be reduced to the period already undergone if they pay Rs 30 crores each, she said that both the convicts are perfectly fine.
"They are perfectly fine to conduct their business and travel abroad but are they too old to go to jail to serve the sentence? They are partying, they play golf but why cannot they go to jail? Is it so because they are rich," she said.
Krishnamurthy also said the detailed judgement of the apex court should be made available to them soon so that they can file a review petition in the matter.
"I hope that the detailed judgement of the Supreme Court is made available soon so that we can file a review petition," she said.
She had earlier said the tragedy, in which 59 lives werelost on June 13, 1997 during the screening of blockbuster film'Border', was due to the "wilful negligence" of the theatreowners who risked the lives of the movie-goers for pecuniary gain.