Delay in justice upsets families
With tears in their eyes and fond memories of their loved ones, families of the 59 victims who died in the Uphaar Cinema fire here 15 years ago took part in a prayer meeting on Wednesday at the memorial built near the hall.
The families assembled in front of Smriti Upvan, a memorial for the deceased near the cinema hall. They prayed for the departed souls and consoled one another. However, there was a sense of dejection among them.
“There can be no fight without justice and the law has failed to give us justice in the last 15 years, which is shameful,” said Neelam Krishnamoorthy, president of the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy, who had lost her two children in the fire.
On June 13, 1997, during the screening of Hindi film Border, fire had engulfed the theatre, killing 59 people and injuring over 100 in the subsequent stampede.
In December 2008, the Delhi high court sentenced the theatre owners, Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal, to one-year prison terms. They were released on bail within a month.
“There are so many pending cases against the Ansals who are roaming free. We are disillusioned and dejected,” she said.
“The collusion of callous and greedy officials, big business houses and an apathetic system flourishes. We once again appeal to the policy makers to implement stringent laws to deter and avert such man-made tragedies so that in future, precious human lives are not lost,” Ms Krishnamoorthy said.
The families appealed to the government to implement stringent laws to avert such man-made tragedies in future.
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