Nirmal Singh Chopra, an accused in the Uphaar fire tragedy case, on Thursday filed an application in a city court on behalf of all 16 accused, seeking permission for their lawyers to inspect the theatre hall in New Delhi so as to put up a good defence in one of the cases in the Delhi High Court. Chopra, the hall manager, filed the application before additional sessions judge Mamta Sehgal, seeking the court's approval to allow their lawyers to inspect the hall regarding the case filed by the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) claiming compensation of Rs 122 crore in the high court. The judge has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file the reply with regard to the application by December 11. The case was filed in the high court by the AVUT which comprises family members of the 59 people killed and hundred injured in the devastating fire which broke out in the cinema hall in South Delhi while screening the movie 'border' on June 13 afternoon in 1997. Besides the owner of the hall, Sushil Ansal and his brother Gopal Ansal, fourteen others are facing trial for causing death due to negligent acts under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Thursday’s application which included names of leading lawyers Ashok Desai, Rajeev Dhawan and six others, said that a personal visit by a team of lawyers to the cinema premises is extremely essential in order to acquaint themselves with various deviations and flauting of rules as alleged by the victims' association against the cinema hall owners and managers.
Earlier in August, the trial court granted permission to Ansal brothers and their lawyer Ram Jethmalani to visit the hall while Jethmalani was arguing a case in the high court.
Meanwhile a prosecution witness was also cross-examined by the defence counsel K K Sareen on Thursday.
Bureau Report