‘Examined retired cop in Ansal passport case’: Delhi Police to HC

The information came on a petition that sought a CBI probe in the grant of passport to Ansal despite his conviction in the case. Fifty-nine people lost their lives at Uphaar cinema in 1997.

The police on Wednesday informed the Delhi high court they had examined a retired Delhi police officer who had conducted the verification for the passport of Sushil Ansal, a convict in the Uphaar fire case.

Delhi Police told the HC they had interrogated Sushil Ansal, a convict in the Uphaar fire case, who said he had obtained an additional booklet of the passport in 2000 giving an address in Panchseel Park. (HT Photo)

The information came on a petition that sought a CBI probe in the grant of passport to Ansal despite his conviction in the case. Fifty-nine people lost their lives at Uphaar cinema in 1997.

The petitioner contended there was a nexus and conspiracy between the passport officials, police officers and Ansals, which had led to the issuance of the travel document.

Later, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in an affidavit, had informed the court that Delhi Police and passport authorities had issued travel documents to real estate baron Sushil Ansal without proper verification.

In a status report to Justice Najmi Waziri, the police told the court it had questioned sub-inspector Kartar Singh, the enquiry officer, who gave the clearance to the real-estate baron for his travel document.

“In 2001, he shifted his address to 26, Feroze Shah Road and applied for a new additional booklet on the changed address. Additional booklet was again obtained in 2004 on the new address. In 2013, he again applied for a passport under the Tatkal scheme on the same address. Report from the passport office is awaited and further interrogation shall be carried out after obtaining the relevant record, “ the report read.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) filed an affidavit in a sealed cover to the court, detailing them the updates on the case. The matter has been now listed for April 15.

The plea, filed by Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), through its chairperson Neelam Krishnamoorthy, had alleged the police and passport officers had helped Sushil Ansal get his passport renewed