Uphaar tragedy: HC quashes summons against Ansal brothers

The Delhi high court on Tuesday dropped proceedings and quashed the summons issued by a lower court against real estate tycoons Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal in the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy case for allegedly threatening complainant Neelam Krishnamoorthy.

The court, however, put two employees of the Ansals -- Deepak Kathpalia and P S Sharma -- on trial under section 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code, for allegedly abusing and threatening Krishnamoorthy, the president of the Association of Uphaar Tragedy Victims. “Petitions filed by Gopal Ansal and Sushil Ansal are allowed. Proceedings against them before trial court shall be dropped.”

"However, other two petitioners Deepak Kathpalia and P S Sharma will stand trial under section 509 of IPC. They shall appear before the trial court on July 21," Justice S P Garg said.

Krishnamoorthy, who was present in court with her husband, later said she was disappointed by the order, for which she has been waiting for eight years.

"It is a very disappointing moment for me. It is on their (Ansal brothers) behest that the other two intended to commit the crime. I will file a special leave petition against the order," she said.

The high court had on March 9 reserved its order on the plea of Ansal brothers and the two employees opposing the summons issued against them after counsel for Krishnamoorthy and others concluded their argument.

The high court had in July 2007 stayed the summons issued against all four of them. The four had been summoned by the lower court on the complaint by Krishnamoorthy, who was allegedly abused and threatened by the two employees in May 2007.

She had alleged that her pictures were taken on May 10, 2007 when she was coming out of the courtroom of Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Sehgal, where the trial against the Ansal brothers and others was on for their alleged culpability in the June 13, 1997 tragedy.

Krishnamoorthy had lost two minor children in the fire in which 57 others were asphyxiated during the screening of Hindi blockbuster movie Border.