Uphaar tragedy: Tampering of evidence charge upheld by HC

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Friday upheld a trial court order charging real estate barons Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal with tampering of evidence in a case related to the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy in which 59 people died after a fire broke out during a show.

A bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul held that there was adequate material for the charges against the duo to stick. “The material gave rise to strong suspicion that accused committed the offence for which charges were rightly framed,” the bench said.  The bench also directed the magisterial court to proceed with the trial in the case. A magisterial court on May 31, 2014, had ordered framing of charges against the duo and five others for abatement of offence, causing disappearance of evidence, criminal breach of trust by public servant and criminal conspiracy under the IPC.

The high court had in March last year allowed a plea of Delhi police seeking transfer of revision petitions of the accused which are pending before a sessions court. The high court had transferred the matter to itself, saying it was warranted in order to protect and uphold dignity and majesty of judicial system and to ensure faith of the citizens in the court of law.

The order was passed after all the parties gave their consent for transfer of petitions before the high court. The Ansal brothers and two other accused had approached the sessions court challenging the order passed by a magisterial court framing charges against them in the case.

Later, the Delhi Police approached the high court seeking transfer of the revision petitions, pending in the court of an additional sessions judge at Patiala House court here, to some other competent court having jurisdiction.