Uphaar fire tragedy: SC asks Gopal Ansal to surrender

A three-judge bench headed had granted relief to 76-year-old Sushil Ansal considering age-related complications.

New Delhi, Mar 9: Real estate baron Gopal Ansal will have to surrender to serve the remaining period of the one-year sentence in the Uphaar fire tragedy case with the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissing his plea for parity with his elder brother Sushil Ansal.

"The appeal filed by Gopal Ansal is dismissed," a three- judge bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi said.

Justice Gogoi, in a 2:1 majority verdict on February 9, had granted relief to 76-year-old Sushil Ansal considering age-related complications by awarding him jail term already undergone and had asked Gopal to surrender in four weeks to serve the remaining jail term.

Gopal had thereafter filed a plea in the apex court seeking modification of its order on the grounds of parity, saying he was 69 years old and would suffer irreparable damage to his health if sent to prison.

After the bench, also comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and Adarsh Kumar Goel, dismissed the plea, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani representing Gopal Ansal told the court that as per the February 9 order, Gopal was to surrender to serve the remaining jail term within four weeks, which is expiring today.

Jethmalani told the bench that Gopal Ansal be given some time to surrender.

"Gopal Ansal will surrender to serve the rest of the sentence as imposed on him on March 20," the bench said.

59 persons had died in the Uphaar cinema during the screening of Hindi movie 'Border' on June 13, 1997.

PTI