Uphaar fire tragedy : Kejriwal may reject Rs.60 crore the SC has asked to pay Ansals

Reports said Neelam Krishnamoorthy, whose son and daughter were among 59 people killed in the fire 18 years ago, met  Kejriwal on Friday morning  and requested him not to accept the money.

 Kejriwal's office said the government will seek legal opinion on whether rejecting the money will put the Delhi government in contempt of court or cause a constitutional breakdown.

On Wednesday, the  the Supreme Court ruled that the Sushil and Gopal Ansals, who owned Uphaar cinema in south Delhi, will not be jailed and ordered them to pay Rs. 60 crore to be used by the Delhi government to build a new trauma centre.

The Chief Minister has said that the Delhi government has the resources to build a trauma centre and dedicate it to the Uphaar victims. 

 Kejriwal has also agreed in principle to their demand for a new law with enhanced punishment for man-made disasters like the Uphaar tragedy.

At Uphaar, routes to fire exits had been blocked to make room for extra seats. This turned the cinema hall into a veritable death trap when the fire broke out on June 13, 1997, during the screening of a Bollywood film.  Most of the 59 people killed were trapped in the balcony and died of asphyxiation. More than 100 people were injured.

 The Ansals were found guilty of causing death by negligence, which carries a maximum jail term of two years.

 In its order, the Supreme Court restricted their jail term to the period they have already spent in prison.

Sushil Ansal was jailed for five months and Gopal Ansal for four immediately after the tragedy.