Latest news with #AssociationofVictimsofUphaarTragedy
Hindustan Times
17-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Uphaar cinema tragedy: SC directs Delhi govt to file status report on trauma centre
New Delhi A bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi granted three weeks to the Delhi government to file its report. (Representative photo) The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi government to submit a status report on the progress in the construction of a trauma centre, which was to be set up in memory of the victims of the Uphaar fire tragedy utilising ₹60 crore paid by theatre owners Ansal brothers. The order to build a trauma centre was issued in September 2015, with a timeline of two years. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi granted three weeks to the Delhi government to file its report. The order was passed on an application moved by the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), which contended that there was no information forthcoming from the Delhi government on the status of construction of the trauma facility and the ₹60 crore transferred to it for this purpose. While additional solicitor general (ASG) Archana Pathak Dave, representing the Delhi government, sought time to file a reply, AVUT, represented by advocate Diksha Rai, pointed out that the top court's order had required the trauma centre to be set up within two years. The incident pertains to a fire that broke out on June 13, 1997, which killed 59 people. The top court, in September 2015, held the Ansal brothers guilty of causing death due to negligence. A three-judge bench sentenced them to two years of imprisonment, with a rider that in lieu of a one-year sentence they had to further undergo, they could instead pay a fine of ₹60 crore, divided equally between the two brothers. The trauma facility was to come up at Dwarka in west Delhi. The application by AVUT said, 'While about 10 years have elapsed since the stipulated fine amount was deposited with the office of the chief secretary, government of NCT of Delhi on November 9, 2015, the trauma centre envisaged in this court's directions remain a non-starter, with no discernible steps having been taken towards its construction.' The AVUT moved the application this year, even as their appeal challenging a Delhi high court order of December 2008—reducing the two-year sentence awarded to Ansals by the trial court to one year—remains pending. The Ansal brothers were chiefly convicted under sections 304-A (causing death due to negligence), 337 (endangering life), and 338 (causing grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. Initially, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on March 5, 2014. While one judge affirmed the HC order, the other judge was of the view that the sentence be enhanced to the maximum of two years rigorous imprisonment, but went on to add that the enhanced jail sentence of one year will be substituted with an exemplary fine of ₹100 crore. Due to the difference of opinion, the matter went to a three-judge bench, which reduced the fine to ₹60 crore, to be shared equally by the Ansal brothers. Later, the association filed a review petition, which was dismissed by the top court in February 2017. However, the court reiterated that the money should be utilised for the construction of a trauma hospital. Since then, the association has filed several applications under the Right to Information Act for information on the progress of construction. It also wrote to the Chief Justice of India in 2021 to ensure the order of the court is implemented. 'The funds allocated for the trauma centre continue to remain unutilised, and the proposed facility remains a mere concept on paper. The continued inaction and lethargy exhibited by the concerned authorities, despite the clear mandate of this court, reflects an alarming disregard not only towards judicial directions, but also towards the need for improved healthcare infrastructure,' the application stated. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for August.
The Print
13-06-2025
- The Print
Uphaar fire tragedy: 28 years on, families still miss loved ones, demand accountability
There were prayers, moments of silence, emotional recollections, and a renewed appeal for justice and accountability, AVUT, in a statement, said. The memorial, organised by the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), saw grieving families, friends, and supporters streaming to the south Delhi area to remember their loved ones. New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) The Uphaar cinema fire tragedy victims' kin gathered at Smriti Upavan in Green Park on Friday to mark 28 years of the horrific incident that claimed 59 lives and injured more than 100. 'It has been 28 years, and we are still waiting for answers, for closure, for justice that feels complete,' said Neelam Krishnamoorthy, president of AVUT, who lost her two teenage children in the fire. 'Every year we come here not just to mourn, but to remind the system that such a tragedy must never happen again,' she said. In 1997, a fire broke out during a screening of the film Border at the Uphaar cinema hall. Locked exits and a delayed rescue led to dozens of people getting trapped inside, many of them young. AVUT has since fought a legal battle to hold those responsible to account. The fight revealed major gaps in the cinema halls' safety apparatus, such as the lack of emergency preparedness and a trauma centre in Delhi. The setting up of Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, which has been functioning for 18 years, is a result of that legal battle. The Supreme Court in 2015 imposed a Rs 60 crore fine on the Ansal brothers, the owners of the theatre, instead of a jail term. The amount was meant to fund another trauma centre, an extension of AIIMS in Dwarka, but that project is still pending, according to the statement. 'It is heartbreaking to see something so critical stuck in limbo. Lives depend on it,' Krishnamoorthy said. As they lit candles and laid flowers, families said they would keep returning to this place until the system changes, and until public safety becomes more than just a promise. PTI SHB VN VN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Uphaar fire tragedy: 28 years on, families still miss loved ones, demand accountability
New Delhi, The Uphaar cinema fire tragedy victims' kin gathered at Smriti Upavan in Green Park on Friday to mark 28 years of the horrific incident that claimed 59 lives and injured more than 100. The memorial, organised by the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy , saw grieving families, friends, and supporters streaming to the south Delhi area to remember their loved ones. There were prayers, moments of silence, emotional recollections, and a renewed appeal for justice and accountability, AVUT, in a statement, said. "It has been 28 years, and we are still waiting for answers, for closure, for justice that feels complete," said Neelam Krishnamoorthy, president of AVUT, who lost her two teenage children in the fire. "Every year we come here not just to mourn, but to remind the system that such a tragedy must never happen again," she said. In 1997, a fire broke out during a screening of the film Border at the Uphaar cinema hall. Locked exits and a delayed rescue led to dozens of people getting trapped inside, many of them young. AVUT has since fought a legal battle to hold those responsible to account. The fight revealed major gaps in the cinema halls' safety apparatus, such as the lack of emergency preparedness and a trauma centre in Delhi. The setting up of Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, which has been functioning for 18 years, is a result of that legal battle. The Supreme Court in 2015 imposed a ₹60 crore fine on the Ansal brothers, the owners of the theatre, instead of a jail term. The amount was meant to fund another trauma centre, an extension of AIIMS in Dwarka, but that project is still pending, according to the statement. "It is heartbreaking to see something so critical stuck in limbo. Lives depend on it," Krishnamoorthy said. As they lit candles and laid flowers, families said they would keep returning to this place until the system changes, and until public safety becomes more than just a promise.
