Uphaar fire case: SC grants bail to Ansal brothers

The Supreme Court granted bail to the Ansal brothers - Sushil and Gopal - in the Uphaar fire case which claimed 59 lives in 1997.

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to the Ansal brothers -- Sushil and Gopal-- who were convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment in the Uphaar fire tragedy case.

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A bench, headed by Justice S B Sinha, also issued notices on the cross appeals filed by the Ansals and Association of the Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) challenging the one year sentence imposed on the accused by the Delhi High Court.

The bench ordered that the Ansal brothers be released on the personal bond of Rs 10,000 each.

While the Ansals had challenged the sentence imposed by the High Court, the victims' association had sought enhancement of the punishment on the ground that the offence fell under the purview of section 304 IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

The High Court had earlier reduced the sentence to one year prison term from the two years imposed by the Sessions Court.