Court staff chargesheeted in removal of documents in Uphaar case

New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) Delhi Police today chargesheeted a staff of the court for allegedly removing vital documents from the case file of Upahaar cinema tragedy in which 59 people lost their lives ten years back.

Filing the chargesheet in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate(ACMM) Kamini Lau, the police said during the investigation it was found that the charges against Dinesh Chand Sharma, the record keeper, was allegedly involved in removal of the important documents from the record which was in his custody.

''The case known as Uphaar Cinema tragedy is very sensitive case having international ramifications and disappearance and tampering of documents in such a case is a very serious matter,'' said the chargesheet.

Dr Lau fixed February 24, to take cognisance of the chargesheet to proceed against Sharma, who is in Tihar jail since his arrest January 8, 2007.

''He has brought humiliation and bad name to the court staff, the services and justice delivery system,'' alleged the Police while mentioning about the dismissed staff of the Patiala House district courts.

Sharma had removed some of the documents including cheques from the file which were giving ample proof that Ansal brothers were running the cinema, contrary to their arguments that the hall was managed by a board with the help of a management team.

Citing evidence the police alleged that Sharma, who had a Hutch mobile, was in constant contact with P P Batra, a steno in the legal cell of the Ansal Properties and Industries, between 2002 and 2005.

The Association of the Victims of Uphar Tragedy (AVUT), which is pursuing the case against the Ansals, had filed a petition in the High Court saying that Sharma had allegedly destroyed the documents at the behest of the Ansal brothers, the owners of the cinema.

Sharma was charged under the section 409 of the IPC for criminal breach of trust by a public servant.

The trial Court had earlier framed charges against 16 accused, including proprietors of Ansals properties Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal, for their alleged involvement in the Uphaar fire tragedy on June 13, 1997 which left 59 dead and more than 100 injured.

UNI