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"I'm at peace because I know my children are at peace. I'm a firm believer that there can be no peace without justice. Justice has been done."
Neelam Krishnamoorthy, who lost her two children to the fire at Delhi's Uphaar cinema in June 1997, and has since been fighting a long battle to get justice, spoke exclusively to The Quint, after a Delhi court sentenced the owners – Sushil and Gopal Ansal – to seven years in jail, for tampering with evidence in the case. 59 people, including 23 children, died in the Uphaar cinema fire 24 years ago.
"This verdict has restored my faith in the judicial system, which was shattered on 19 August 2015, when the Supreme Court allowed the Ansals to walk free, after paying a fine of Rs 30 crore each for a trauma centre," said Krishnamoorthy.
On 13 June 1997, Neelam's life came crashing down when both her children – Unnati (17) and Ujjawal (13) – died in a fire at Uphaar cinema in Delhi's Green Park where they had gone to watch Border.
Since the tragedy, Neelam and her husband Shekhar, along with others who lost their loved ones in the fire, have dedicated their lives to the fight for justice.
As per the magisterial probe of the incident, there was a spark in the transformer on the ground floor of the cinema hall around 4:55 pm, which reportedly caused a fire, charring cars in the parking lot.
Soon, toxic smoke filled the pitch-dark main auditorium. People seated on the balcony started running for the exit doors but there were not enough exits. This finds mentions in the magisterial probe done within a month of the tragedy, along with the fact that there was no public announcement system to alert people.
The magisterial probe held Sushil and Gopal Ansal, owners of Uphaar cinema, the Delhi Vidyut Board, and the city fire service responsible for the tragedy.
After serving the first two years in jail, the Supreme Court in August 2015 allowed the Ansals to walk free and asked them to pay a fine of Rs 30 crore each, which would be utilised to build a trauma centre in the national capital. In 2019, however, the court issued a non-bailable warrant against the two in a case of alleged tampering of evidence.
On 8 November 2021, a Delhi court sentenced the Ansal brothers to seven years in prison, for tampering with evidence of the case. The duo have also been asked to pay Rs 2.5 crore each.
After news of the sentencing broke, Neelam said, "Ansals interfered in the administration of justice. They have shown total disregard and disrespect for the law and judicial process of the country."
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