1997 Uphaar Cinema Fire: Delhi HC Dismisses Gopal Ansal’s Urgent Plea for Passport Renewal

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed an application from real estate magnate Gopal Ansal, who was convicted in a case involving tampering of evidence linked to the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire trial.

The fire tragedy occurred during the screening of the movie ‘Border’ on June 13, 1997, leading to the loss of 59 lives.

Ansal had urgently sought a hearing for his plea to renew his passport for a 10-year period.

The high court, citing its workload, ruled that an expedited hearing was not feasible.

A single-judge Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma stated, “Considering the current workload, an early date cannot be accommodated. The application is dismissed. The matter is listed for September 4, the previously scheduled date.”

Gopal Ansal, aged 75, had filed the application, asserting the need for international travel due to business commitments, necessitating an urgent renewal of his passport, which expired on December 12, 2020. He requested that the hearing be advanced to an earlier date. Ansal argued for a 10-year renewal period, highlighting that it aligns with the standard validity duration of an ordinary passport. He assured the court that he would seek permission before leaving the country after the passport renewal.

The high court had earlier issued notices to the police and the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) regarding Ansal’s passport renewal plea. The court referenced a previous order from August 10, 2021, issued by a trial court, which indicated no objection to renewing Ansal’s passport as per the established rules. These rules permit the renewal of a travel document for a year for individuals facing trial or appellate proceedings.

Ansal’s application was submitted within an ongoing petition where he seeks to overturn his conviction and sentence for evidence tampering. Notably, he has already served his prison term for the fire incident of June 13, 1997. Besides Gopal Ansal, his 84-year-old brother Sushil Ansal, former employee P P Batra, and former court staff Dinesh Chandra Sharma have also approached the high court to challenge their convictions and sentences.

AVUT had previously filed a petition in the high court seeking an increase in the punishment handed to the convicts in the evidence tampering case. The magisterial court had awarded seven-year jail terms to the Ansal brothers on November 8, 2021, with the sessions court later modifying this order on July 19, 2022. The sessions court ordered the release of Sushil and Gopal Ansal, Dinesh Chandra Sharma, and P P Batra, considering the time they had already spent in jail since November 8, 2021. The court also imposed fines on the convicts.

While the trial court upheld the conviction of the Ansal brothers, it acquitted co-accused Anup Singh. The case pertains to tampering with evidence in the primary fire tragedy case, which led to the conviction and two-year jail term for the Ansals by the Supreme Court. However, the apex court released them upon payment of a fine of Rs 30 crore each, on the condition of constructing a trauma center in the national capital.