Rediff

New Delhi, Sep 10: The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail of Sushil and Gopal Ansal, who were sentenced to two years of imprisonment by the trial court in the Uphaar fire tragedy, which claimed 59 lives.

The apex court also cancelled the bail granted to Ajit Chowdhary and Nirmal Chopra, managers of the theatre, who were awarded seven years of imprisonment.

The order was pronounced by a bench comprising Justices B N Agrawal and G S Singhvi.

Sushil and Gopal Ansal were directed by the apex court to surrender by 4 pm on Thursday.

The order was delivered on a petition filed by the Association of Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy challenging the bail granted to the Ansal brothers and two other convicts by the Delhi High Court.

The trial court on November, 20, 2007 had convicted the Ansal brothers along with three others under Section 304-A IPC (causing death due to rash and negligent act) and had sentenced them to two years imprisonment.

Seven others, including Ajit Chowdhary and Nirmal Chopra, managers of the theatre whose bail was also cancelled on Wednesday, were convicted under Section 304 IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Others convicted under section 304 IPC were -- Radha Krishan Sharma, Manmohan Unniyal (cinema's gatekeeper), Brij Mohan Satija, A K Gera and Bir Singh (all DVB officials).

The other three convicts -- S S Sharma and N D Tiwari of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and H S Panwar of Delhi Fire Service -- were also granted two years term as the offences were similar to that of the Ansal brothers.

Fifty nine cinegoers were killed in the blaze in the theatre on June 13, 1997 during the screening of Hindi blockbuster Border.

The High Court on January 4 had granted bail to the Ansal brothers and two other accused.