Uphaar tribute: Victims' families turn misty eyed

Even after two decades, the Uphaar tragedy is still fresh in the memories of the victim's relatives who gathered at the 'Smriti Upwan' on Tuesday morning to pay floral tribute to their kin who lost their lives in the deadly fire on June 13, 1997.

The incident which claimed 59 lives had shaken the city and the families are still unsatisfied with the justice imparted.

Showing resentment on the same, the President of The Association of Victims of Uphaar Fire Tragedy' (AVUT) who filed the landmark Civil compensation case Neelam Krishnaamoorthy said, "We have spent the last twenty years suffering pain, emptiness, and desperation hoping that this verdict would bring peace to the departed souls of our loved ones.

We heard innumerable times that justice should not only be done but must also be seen to be done. But unfortunately, justice has been denied to the Uphaar victims."

Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, had lost their two children, 17-year-old Unnati and 13-year-old Ujjwal in the tragic incident.

"We will definitely file a curative petition. Our courts have not learnt from their counterparts in other countries who have dealt sternly and swiftly to deal with tragedies involving human lives.

"It is as if the law is being administered by our courts to nurture corporate interests and not to deliver justice," Neelam told Millennnium Post.

In August 2015, the Supreme Court imposed a fine of Rs 30 crore each of the Ansal brothers.

The final verdict that came out in February 2017 sentenced Gopal Ansal to prison for a year while his brother escaped the term by virtue of old age.

"We have also received information that a mercy petition has been filed on behalf of Gopal Ansal. The same has been received by the Ministry of Home Affairs and forwarded to the Lt. Governor of Delhi for his opinion.

"We are shocked that the Ministry of Home Affairs has bothered to entertain such a blatantly undeserving petition on behalf of a convicted mass murderer. We trust that our hopes will not be dashed further, added Neelam.