SC sends Ansals to prison

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sent them to jail for alleged complicity in tampering with evidence while on bail.

For almost 11 years after the Uphaar fire tragedy, real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal remained out on bail. The Supreme Court on Wednesday sent them to jail for alleged complicity in tampering with evidence while on bail.

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“Tampering with judicial records is a crime worse than murder or dacoity,” a bench headed by Justice B.N. Agrawal said cancelling the bail granted to them by the Delhi High Court. It directed the Ansal brothers to surrender by 4 pm on Thursday.

Terming it as “a very serious matter”, the court said: “If court documents go missing, there can’t be a better ground for cancellation of bail.”

The order came on an appeal filed by the Association for Victims of Uphaar Tragedy. The court also cancelled the bail of Nirmal Singh Chopra and Ajit Chaudhary, the cinema hall managers at the time of the tragedy on June 13, 1997 that claimed 59 lives during the screening of Border.

Now eight of the 12 convicted in the case would would be in jail. They will remain there till the HC decides on their appeal against the November 23, 2007 conviction.