HC rejects bail pleas of accused in Meerut fire mishap

Allahabad, Apr 19 (UNI) The Allahabad High Court today rejected the bail applications of the three accused in the case of April 2005 Victoria Park consumer exhibition fire in Meerut.

Sixty five people were killed and over 200 others were grievously injured in the inferno tragedy which occurred on April 10, 2005.

Rejecting the bail pleas of three accused who were the organisers-Lakhan Tomar, Asit Gupta and Sidharth Manohar, Justice Ravindra Singh directed that the proceedings of the trial of the applicants be expedited without granting unnecessary adjournment to either of the side.

Considering the gravity of the offence, the Justice refused the bail applications of the accused, remarking, ''the incident occured due to unlawful acts by the mela organisers, which had resulted in the raging inferno.'' The court said, ''The investigating team has an evidence that there was no emergency exit. All the three pandals erected were centrally air conditioned and just before catching fire, the temperature of the pandal had arisen to 400 to 500 degrees Celsius.'' The HC noted the accused in the incident were quite influential and might tamper with the evidence. To ensure free and fair trial of the case, it refused to grant bail to them.

UNI