New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre to submit a file on the Uphaar theatre fire victims' plea for grant of sanction to prosecute former IPS officer Amod Kanth for allegedly allowing an extra row of seats in the hall, leading to closure of one of its crucial exits.
Justice Vipin Sanghi directed the counsel for Union Home Ministry to place on record the original file by April 19.
The court passed the order after senior counsel KTS Tulsi, appearing for the Uphaar theatre fire victims submitted that the ministry had rejected a plea for grant of sanction to prosecute Kanth saying the matter is subjudice.
The lawyer said the government, in its reply to the court, had said it did not grant sanction as prosecuting agency CBI did not send any request for it.
The court passed the order on a plea by 'Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy' (AVUT) which had said the Centre had declined their plea for granting sanction to prosecute Kanth for allegedly allowing an extra row of seats in Uphaar Theatre in its upper 'balcony' class, leading to the blocking of one of the crucial exits.
A total of 59 people had died in the theatre fire while over 100 other were injured during the maiden show of blockbuster film 'Border' on June 13, 1997.
Most of the victims, who had been asphyxiated to death due to fumes sucked by air-condition duct from the fire triggered in a Delhi Vidyut Board transformer installed in the basement of the hall and spewed into the theatre, were seated in the upper-floor classes, balcony and DC, of the theatre.
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