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Uphaar Case: Court grants relief to Convict for 2 days on Humanitarian grounds

Swarna Shukla-

Published On: November 21, 2021 at 16:00 IST

A Delhi Court suspended , for two days, the seven-year jail term  given to a Convict, in connection with the 1997  Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy, in which 59 people lost their lives, while more than 100 sustained injuries.

Additional Sessions Judge Anil Antil granted relief to the Convict, Dinesh Chand Sharma, on ‘Humanitarian’ grounds, so that the Convict can attend the engagement ceremony of his niece.

In his application, Sharma had submitted that there was no elderly male member in the family to make arrangements for the already scheduled ceremony, requesting that he be released for a period of seven days to attend the ceremony. The woman’s grandfather was no more and her father passed away last month, the application claimed.

The Convict was admitted to interim bail for two days i.e. November 21 and 22 subject to him furnishing of a bail bond in the sum of Rs. 50,000 with one surety of like amount.

The Court Ordered that Sharma shall surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent on November 22 at 05.00 p.m. under intimation to the concerned Investigating Officer and the Appellate Court.

The Court was hearing the Appeal challenging the Chief Metropolitan Minister (CMM) order by which Sharma along with other real estate barons Sushil and Gopal  Ansal and P.PP Batra were sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.

The CMM had had passed the order on sentencing after the Ansals and others were convicted under Sections 201 (tampering of evidence), 120B(criminal conspiracy) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code on October 8.

The matter pertains to the tampering of evidence in connection with the fire tragedy case , wherein the Ansals were convicted and sentenced by the Supreme Court. 59 people had lost their lives and around 100 people were severely injured in the fire break out during the screening of film ‘Border’.

Also Read: Uphaar Cinema Tragedy accused Ansal brothers sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment

J&K and Ladakh HC: No Suspension of Civil Judge on ‘Humanitarian Ground’