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The Delhi High Court on Thursday listed the appeals connected with the Uphar evidence tampering case for hearing in January 2026. Earlier, a judge of the High Court had recused from hearing. Now, another will hear the appeals.
Justice Ajay Digpaul has listed the appeals filed by Sushil Ansal, Gopal Ansal and others in the Uphar evidence tampering case on January 29. An appeal has also been filed by the Association of Victims of Uphar Tragedy (AVUT). On October 30, Justice Amit Mahajan had recused himself from the hearing of the appeals. The complainant had raised an objection and requested the judge to recuse from the case. Justice Amit Mahajan recused from the hearing of appeals after complainant Neelam Krishnamurthy had raised an objection and listed the matter before another bench, subject to the order of the judge in charge. An apprehension was raised by the complainant Neelam Krishnamurthy that since Justice Mahajan, at some stage, as a counsel, had represented Ansal Housing and Construction Ltd., whose promoter happens to be related to the accused persons in the present matter, "she may not get a fair hearing." Senior counsels for the petitioners raised objections to such apprehension being raised by the complainant. They submitted that the hearing had already started and they had already addressed arguments on October 29, 2025, the bench noted. The High Court is hearing appeals of Convicts, Delhi police and Association of Victims of Uphar Tragedy (AVUT). Businessmen Gopal Ansal, Sushil Ansal and others had moved the Delhi High Court against the order of the Session Court. Earlier, they moved the Sessions Court against the Magistrate Court order convicting and sentencing them to 7 years' jail for tampering with evidence in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) of Patiala House Court in November 2021 had sentenced seven years ' imprisonment and imposed a Rs 2.25-crore fine each on Sushil and Gopal Ansal for tampering with evidence However, the Principal and District judge in July 2022 had upheld their conviction. However, they reduced their 7-year imprisonment to the period undergone, subject to payment of the fine imposed by the court. The trial Court had earlier convicted businessmen Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal, along with their two employees, among others, in the case related to tampering with the crucial evidence in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case. The Court had found all the accused guilty under sections 409, 201, 120B of the IPC and pronounced the order. Along with Ansal brothers, a court staff Dinesh Chand Sharma and other individuals, PP Batra, Har Swaroop Panwar, Anoop Singh, and Dharamvir Malhotra were booked in the tampering of evidence case. Out of the seven accused, two, Har Swaroop Panwar and Dharamvir Malhotra, died during the course of the trial. At least 59 people died of asphyxia and over 100 others were injured in the stampede after fire broke out in Uphaar cinema on June 13, 1997, during the screening of JP Dutta's film 'Border'. (ANI)
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