Delhi HC rejects urgent hearing on plea to renew Ansal’s passport

Ansal said that he needs to travel abroad for business meetings for which he has to get his passport renewed

The Delhi high court on Friday rejected a plea by real estate tycoon Gopal Ansal, convicted in an evidence tampering case related to the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire tragedy, seeking an urgent hearing of his plea for the renewal of his passport.

Real estate tycoon Gopal Ansal. (HT Archive)

Ansal, 75, said that he needs to travel abroad for business meetings for which he has to get his passport renewed. Ansal’s passport expired on December 12, 2020. He prayed to bring forward the hearing from September 4 to an earlier date.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said an early hearing was not possible in the matter due to the large number of pending cases in his court. “I consider that the board does not permit an early date... List on September 4, the date already fixed in the matter,” the court said. The application was filed in a pending petition by Ansal in which he has sought the setting aside of the conviction and sentence for tampering with evidence.