New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday set August 1 to hear pleas over the conviction of real estate tycoons Sushil and Gopal Ansal for allegedly tampering with evidence in the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire case.

Justice Girish Kathpalia said he would hear final arguments on the petitions of Ansal brothers challenging their punishment apart from the pleas of Delhi Police and Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) for enhancement the punishment.

“List for final hearing on August 1 and thereafter for day-to-day hearing till conclusion of arguments,” said the court.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing the prosecution, said the first appellate court, while upholding the conviction by a magisterial court, reduced the sentence imposed on the accused persons on “perverse reasoning”.

AVUT, represented by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, said in its petition that the district judge failed to consider that the offence of tampering was extremely serious in nature as it affected the entire criminal justice system.

The case relates to tampering with the evidence in the main fire tragedy case in which the Ansals were convicted and sentenced to a two-year jail term by the Supreme Court.

The magisterial court on November 8, 2021, awarded seven-year jail terms to the real estate barons after finding them guilty.

The district court, however, modified the magisterial court’s order on July 19, 2022, and ordered the release of Sushil and Gopal Ansal, former court staff Dinesh Chandra Sharma and Ansal’s then employee P P Batra against their already undergone jail term since November 8, 2021.

It, however, upheld the fine of Rs 2.25 crore each imposed by the magisterial court on the Ansals and Rs 3 lakh each on the other two.

Pleas of Sharma and Batra against the punishment would also be heard on August 1.

The chargesheet alleged the documents tampered with include a police memo giving details of recoveries immediately after the incident, Delhi Fire Service records pertaining to repair of transformer installed inside Uphaar, minutes of managing director’s meetings, and four cheques.

The fire had broken out at the Uphaar cinema during the screening of the Hindi film ‘Border’ on June 13, 1997, claiming 59 lives. PTI ADS ADS AMK AMK