59 people had died and more than hundred were injured in the 1997 tragedy
59 people had died and more than hundred were injured in the 1997 tragedy
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| Charred remains: The scene at Uphaar Cinema after the tragedy. file pic |
A city court Monday fixed Aug 12 to pronounce its order on a plea by families of victims of the 1997 Uphaar cinema hall fire tragedy challenging a clean chit given to former police officer Amod Kanth by federal investigators.
The tragedy took place June 13, 1997 in Uphaar cinema hall in south Delhi, killing 59 cine-goers. Over a hundred others received injuries in the subsequent stampede.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which investigated the case, gave a clean chit to the former Indian Police Service officer.
On Monday, Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjeev Kumar said: "List the matter for pronouncement of order Aug 12."
The court has to decide on the objection petition of the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) questioning the CBI's report disfavouring prosecution of Kanth. The AVUT alleged Kanth, as the then deputy commissioner of Delhi Police (licensing), allowed extra seats in Uphaar cinema hall's balcony which allegedly led to closure of exit gates.
The fire broke out during the screening of the Hindi film 'Border'.
BURNING ISSUE59 people died and 103 were seriously injured in the subsequent stampede after the fire at Uphaar Cinema in Green Park; most of the victims were trapped on the balcony and were asphyxiated as they tried to reach dimly marked exits to escape the smoke and fire, and found the doors locked
The fire broke out at 5:10 pm, after the transformer at the parking level burst, and 20 cars in the parking lot caught fire, eventually leading to a large scale fire in the five-storey building which housed the cinema hall and several offices. The cinema hall was situated in one of the busiest areas of south Delhi and the fire services were delayed owing to the heavy evening traffic. At least 48 fire tenders were pressed into service at 5.20 p.m. and it took them over an hour to put out the fire.
Later the dead and the injured were rushed to the nearby All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Safdarjung Hospital, where scenes of chaos and pandemonium followed, as relatives and family members of the victims scurried around to look for known faces.
The victims of the tragedy and the families of the deceased later formed 'The Association of Victims of Uphaar Fire Tragedy' (AVUT), which filed the landmark Civil compensation case and won Rs 25 crore (Rs 250 million) in civil compensation for the relatives and families of victims , the judgment is now considered a breakthrough in Compensation Law in India.
