The Hindu : Supreme Court notice in Uphaar case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 29, 2003

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Supreme Court notice in Uphaar case

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 28. The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre, the Delhi Government, the Delhi police and others on a petition filed by the Uphaar Theatre Company challenging a Delhi High Court order asking it to pay up Rs. 12 crores as compensation to the victims of a fire in the cinema hall that killed 59 persons in 1997.

A Bench, comprising Justices S. Rajendra Babu and G.P. Mathur, also issued notice to the Delhi Fire Service and the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) and directed that the petition be tagged along with the appeals filed by the Delhi police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. both of which were asked by the High Court to pay damages.

The Bench, however, disposed of another appeal filed by the company, Ansals, challenging the High Court order dated September 12, for release of the cinema hall (which had been sealed by the prosecuting agency) after completion of defence evidence.

It wanted the impugned order to be modified to the extent that the trial judge might visit the theatre not after the defence evidence but after the closure of the prosecution evidence and prior to the recording of Sec. 313 Cr.P.C. statements.

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