New Delhi,  The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice to real estate barons Sushil Ansal, Gopal Ansal and others on a petition moved by the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) challenging a trial court order allowed their earlier release.

As per the earlier trial court order, Ansals were released after considering that they had already undergone the jail term in the evidence tampering case related to the Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy incident.

Moving against the court's decision, the AVUT again approached the court through a criminal revision petition, alleging the Trial Court failed to consider the evidence tampering which is extremely serious in nature and affects the entire criminal justice system. During the hearing before the single judge bench of Justice Asha Menon, senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, on behalf of the state, said that the prosecution supports the plea and will file an appeal against the earlier order. The matter will be further heard on October 11.

On July 19, District judge Dharmesh Sharma, took note of Ansals' old age, in one of their arguments in the appeal while ordering to release them. However, the court said the fine of Rs 2.25 crore would remain untouched.

During the previous hearing, Neelam Krishnamoorthy, petitioner and chairperson of the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) -- a group of persons who lost their children in the Uphaar Cinema tragedy, broke down in the court.

Earlier, senior advocate Vikaas Pahwa, who represented the AVUT, submitted that the ultimate desired result was not just restricted to the tampering of documents and court records, but to secure the acquittal of Sushil Ansal, Gopal Ansal, and H.S. Panwar in the main Uphaar case.

On November 8, 2021, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House Court, Pankaj Sharma, sentenced Ansals to seven years' imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rs 2.25 crore on both in the evidence tampering case.

Notably, on June 13, 1997, halfway through the screening of the Hindi film "Border", a fire broke out in the Uphaar cinema, located in Green Park in south Delhi, killing 59 people.