New Delhi, Jul 18 (IANS): A court here on Monday upheld the conviction of Gopal Ansal and Sushil Ansal in the evidence tampering case related to the 1997 Uphaar cinema hall fire tragedy.

On July 8, District Judge Dharmesh Sharma reserved the order after hearing arguments on appeals filed by the real estate tycoons challenging their convictions and seven-year prison sentences for tampering with evidence.

A detailed order will be made available later in the day.

On Tuesday, the court will hear arguments on the quantum of punishment.

However, one of the co-accused, Anup Singh was granted bail in relation with the case.

During the previous hearing, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, represented the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), submitted that the ultimate desired result was not just restricted to the tampering of documents and court records, but to secure the acquittal of the Sushil Ansal, Gopal Ansal and H.S. Panwar in the main Uphaar case.

On November 8, 2021, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House Court, Dr. Pankaj Sharma, had sentenced Ansals to seven years imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rs 2.25 crore on both in the evidence tampering case.

The court also handed down seven-year-jail terms each to former court staffers P.P. Batra, Anoop Singh, and Dinesh Chand Sharma while slapping them a fine of Rs 3 lakh each.

"After thinking over nights and nights, I have come to the conclusion that they deserve punishment," Sharma said while pronouncing the judgment.

The Delhi Police had told the High Court that Ansals cannot take advantage of their old age in their plea seeking suspension of their jail terms.

On June 13, 1997, halfway through the screening of Hindi film "Border", a fire broke out in the Uphaar cinema, located in Green Park in south Delhi, killing 59 people in one of the worst tragedies in the country.