Uphaar fire case: AVUT slams reduction in Ansals' jail term

Family members of the victims of Uphaar fire tragedy expressed shock and anguish over the Delhi HC decision to reduce the sentence awarded to the cinema hall owners Sushil and Gopal Ansal from two years to one year.

Family members of the victims of Uphaar fire tragedy on Friday expressed shock and anguish over the Delhi High Court's decision to reduce the sentence awarded to the cinema hall owners Sushil and Gopal Ansal from two years to one year.

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"The judgement is ridiculous. The verdict is a travesty of justice. People should not come to court if this is the type of judgement one gets. We spent 11-and-half-years...I particularly attended the court proceedings for 4,206 days and finally got nothing," Neelam Krishnamurthy, Convenor of Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), said immediately after the verdict.

"It gives the feeling of not to come to courts for justice," said Krishnamurthy, who lost her teenaged son and daughter in the tragedy.

"Let the accused persons stay without their children, they will realise the pain of the parents. This is complete waste of time," she said.

Over a dozen family members of the victim, who were present in the court expressed anguish and "disappointment" over the High Court's decision saying "we are certainly going to challenge verdict of the High Court".

Rita Sahni, who lost her young daughter, said "Our hope is shattered. No common man can expect justice from the court. Only those who have money and power can get justice".

Her husband Naveen Sahni said he will go through the judgement and find out the lacuna and then decide to appeal in the Supreme Court.

R S Rahi, who lost his 22-year-old son, said "We fail to understand how people from the high society commit an offence and go scot-free."