Uphaar case: Bailable warrants against Ansals

New Delhi, Aug 13: The Supreme Court on Wednesday, Aug 13 issued bailable arrest warrants against the Ansal brothers and two others who were earlier granted bail in connection with the 1997 Uphaar cinema hall fire tragedy. A bench of Justices B N Aggarwal and G S Singhvi passed the orders on an appeal filed by the Uphaar Victims Welfare Association, challenging the grant of the bail

Responding to complaints that the appeal being heard by the Delhi High Court was getting delayed, the bench asked the association to furnish necessary details. Earlier, the Delhi High Court granted bail to the owners of Uphaar Cinema hall, Gopal and Sushil Ansal. The court also granted bail to two other convicts -- Shyam Sunder Sharma and H S Panwar in the case.

A Delhi Sessions Court on November 23 awarded Gopal and Sushil two years of imprisonment in connection with the Uphaar Cinema hall fire tragedy that left 59 people dead and over hundred people injured.

The brothers were held guilty of criminal negligence in the case.

The tragedy took place on June 13, 1997 during the screening of the Hindi film, "Border."

The theatre was engulfed when an overheated generator burst in the basement of the building. Men, women and children all scampered to rush out of the four cinema hall exits.

ANI