Sushil Ansal played fraud by concealing info to get passport renewed, police tells court

New Delhi: Sushil Ansal, convicted in the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire which killed 59 people, played a fraud on authorities by concealing information about criminal cases pending against him while getting his passport renewed, Delhi Police has told a court here in a chargesheet filed against him.

In its 8-page chargesheet filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma, the police claimed that Ansal misled the government authority on oath that he has not been convicted in any criminal proceedings by any court.

The police claimed that regarding the passport issued in 2013 to Ansal on a 'Tatkaal' application, it is found that an affidavit under the Tatkaal scheme required specific deposition by the applicant to the effect that there were no criminal proceedings pending against the applicant in any court of law or that she/ he has not been convicted by any court of law for any criminal offence in past.

In 2013, this affidavit was filed by the accused Sushil Ansal along with his application and he has on oath misled the Government Authority (RPO) that he has not been convicted in any criminal proceedings by any Court, said the chargesheet, filed in February this year but has come to public knowledge only now.

The matter has been adjourned for January 31, 2022.

The police also said that a supplementary chargesheet will be filed in the case soon, along with the sanctions from the authorities concerned to prosecute Ansal.

The case was lodged on the direction of the Delhi High Court while hearing a petition by Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) chairperson Neelam Krishnamoorthy alleging that Ansal concealed or gave false information to the authorities for renewal of his passport.

Krishnamoorthy said that it took Delhi Police more than two years since the high court's direction to file the chargesheet despite the fact that that a detailed inquiry report by MEA was available on record.

We hope that the sanction under section 15 of Passport Act is granted at the earliest, for the trial to commence. In past too Sushi Ansal has taken the advantage of delayed trial and got scot free after being held guilty for the death of 59 people. I hope this matter will be decided at the earliest, she said.