SC refuses to entertain petition fled by Ansal brothers

New Delhi, Oct 23 (UNI) The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a petition filed by the Ansal brothers seeking directions to the Delhi High Court to hear their bail application in the 1997 Uphaar theatre fire tragedy case.

A bench comprising Justices B N Agrawal and G S Singhvi told the counsel for the petitioner that, '' you are virtually seeking review of our earlier order cancelling tbe bail of the petitioner.

You should file proper review petition.'' The Supreme Court had earlier set aside the order of Delhi High Court granting them bail in the case in which 59 cinegoers were suffocated to death on June 13, 1997 when a fire broke out in Uphaar threatre located in Green Park in South Delhi.

Senior counsel Sushil Kumar appearing for the two brothers, Gopal Ansal and Sushil Ansal, the leading builders of the city and also the owners of Uphaar threatre who are serving two years imprisonment for criminal negligence, mentioned the application for urgent hearing.

Ansal brothers and their two employees Nirmal Singh and Ajay Choudhary were earlier granted bail by Delhi High Court but the ''Association of Victims of Uphaar tragedy'' challenged the bail order in the Supreme Court and the bail of all the four was subsequently cancelled by the apex court.

All the four surrendered following the cancellation of their bail and are currently lodged in Tihar jail.

The apex court has, however, directed the High Court to conduct day-to-day hearing of the appeal of the Ansal brothers and dispose of the same as early as possible.

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