New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said the
various statutuory authorities instead of shifting the blame
on each other for the Upahaar cinema fire tragedy that claimed
59 lives here in June 1997, could mutually agree for a common
settlement with the claimants.
"As far as the Delhi Vidyut Board, MCD and DCP
(licensing) are concerned, all are statutory authorities. Why
don't you sort it out instead of blaming each other. It does
not look good. Show your grace and try to come out with a
common solution to the amount of compensation," a bench of
Justices R V Raveendran and K S Radhakrishnan said.
The apex court made the remarks when Additional
Solicitor General P P Malhotra sought to defend DVB and
instead blame the DCP (licensing) for the mishap on the ground
that the licensing authorities did not exercise adequate
caution while granting license for the cinema house.
MCD, on its part, has sought to shift the blame on the
DCP (licensing), DVB and the Ansals, the owners of the
theatre.
The arguments would continue tomorrow.
Holding the owners of Uphaar cinema, MCD, Delhi Vidyut
Board (DVB) and licensing authority "guilty of negligence",
the Delhi High Court had earlier directed the cinema owners to
pay 55 per cent of the compensation award and the remaining 45
per cent by MCD, DVB and licencing authorities, each
contributing 15 per cent.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 02, 2009, 23:04