The Supreme Court on Monday refused to extend the deadline extended to Gopal Ansal for surrendering to serve his time in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case
Hearing an urgent mentioning by senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, representing Gopal Ansal, a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar refused to extend his deadline for surrendering to serve his time.
The Supreme Court had previously on March 9 given Gopal Ansal time till March 20 to surrender.
Mr. Jethmalani said his client needed more time as he has already moved a mercy petition before the President of India.
Chief Justice Khehar told Mr. Jethmalani that he could move the President and argue for a reprieve. The case was now in the exclusive purview of the President.
"It is beyond our purview. We cannot grant you anything. You go and tell all this to the President now," Justice Khehar said.
Mr. Jethmalani said his client has asked the President to pardon him. "It was a 20-year-old trial and we have paid crores in damages. Now, we are compelled to serve four months in prison," Mr. Jethmalani submitted.
"Make a mention of all this before the President. We decline your plea," Chief Justice Khehar replied.
The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed an application filed by real estate baron Gopal Ansal seeking parity with elder brother Sushil, who was spared a prison sentence on the ground of advanced age in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case.
On March 9, a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph and A.K. Goel had refused to entertain Gopal Ansal's plea to treat him on par with his elder brother, Sushil Ansal, who was spared incarceration owing to his advanced age and related illness.
Gopal had argued that he was "almost a dead man" broken by disease, including cerebral atrophy. He had argued that he had suffered more than his elder brother. But the court had refused any relief.
On February 9, Gopal was sentenced to serve the remainder of his one-year sentence.
The court had also dismissed an application by the victims' families under the banner of Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) which wanted the SC to modify its February 9 order and send SushilAnsal to prison also.
On June 13, 1997, 59 people were aphyxiated to death when a fire broke out in the Uphaar theatre during the screening of Hindi movie ‘Border’.
