Judge finds lacunae in Uphaar cinema that claimed 59 lives

New Delhi, Sep 2 (UNI) Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Sehgal, who visited the Uphaar cinema on August 19, has found many lacunae in the hall which led to the fire tragedy claiming 59 lives in 1997.

In her report, Ms Sehgal, the presiding Judge of the case, said the owners--Ansals-- had made many structural changes in contravention to the sanctioned plan in 1973 and the Delhi Cinematographic Rules.

In the balcony, there were no gangways or passages which is mandeatory for a cinema hall and the seats were joining the side wall. There was only one passage of 3.8 feet in the middle of the hall, making it difficult for all the viewers to escape on the day of the tragedy.

''There was a passage of 5.6 feet which is the main gallery entering to the hall and it is used as exit, evident from the sign board,'' said the report.

The Ansals had constructed an additional third floor to the building and operating their office from the rooms. ''As informed by the Investigating Officer there were offices and we noticed that there was broken furniture, file covers and there were two big halls divided by wooden partition,'' said Ms Sehgal.

Even some of the rooms were being rented out to private persons to carry out their businesses. ''There was a room rented out to Charanjiv Homeopathy Dispensary and inside that room of approximately 9X10 feet, burnt sofa, broken chairs, tables and partition wall were found,'' the inspection report said.

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