Sentencing in Uphaar case Friday

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) A city court will pronounce sentences on the 12 convicts, including real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal, in the Uphaar cinema hall fire tragedy case Friday afternoon.

After hearing the arguments from both sides Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Sehgal said she would pronounce the sentences at 3 p.m. Friday. The 1997 fire in the south Delhi cinema hall had claimed 59 lives.

Prem Kumar, counsel for Gopal Ansal, continued his arguments over the quantum of sentence as they remained inconclusive Wednesday. He stated that his client was innocent as he was not directly involved in the tragedy.

He also pleaded that a person could be reformed even without putting him behind bars, adding that Gopal and Sushil Ansal have contributed a lot to the country's economy and as civilized citizens should be released on probation.

The Central Bureau of Investigation's counsel Vikas Bawa expressed his wish to argue on the quantum of sentence, but the court refused to hear them. He later submitted a written submission to the court.

For Neelam Krishnamurthy, who lost her two children in the fire, it was like light at the end of a tunnel after leading a legal battle for the past 10 years.

"I am feeling very nervous now. I want the accused to be given the maximum punishment as they have taken 59 innocent lives. I will not be able to sleep tonight and am eagerly waiting for tomorrow's judgement," she said.

The court has convicted theatre owners Sushil and Gopal Ansal under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) -- 304 A (causing death by negligence), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life) -- and section 14 of Cinematographic Act. Similar charges were imposed on N.D. Tiwari and Shyam Sunder Sharma.

The other convicts are Radhakrishnan Sharma, Nirmal Singh Chopra, Ajit Chaudhary, Manmohan Unniyal, Brij Mohan, Anand Kumar Gera, Vir Singh and Har Swaroop Pawar. They were convicted under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC, read with section 36.

Originally, 16 people were named accused in the case, but four of them have died in the last 10 years.

In a strange sideshow, just before the court proceedings could start Thursday, a man came and submitted a written statement claiming that the Uphaar fire tragedy was not caused by human negligence but by the US military force, which used satellite-based laser weapons.

In his application, a copy of which is with IANS, Rajat Bobal stated that it was a well-thought out agenda of "ethnic cleansing of Hindus and destroying India". "The US military has indulged in such acts and caused fires across India in houses, industries and commercial buildings," he told the court.

The court refused to admit the application, stating it should have been submitted earlier.