“After 25 years, I have been able to bring justice not only to my children, but to all 28 families who suffered the worst man-made tragedy,'' said Neelam Krishnamoorthy, mother of Unnati and Ujjwal, who lost their lives in the fire at Uphaar Cinema in Delhi on June 13, 1997. “I feel vindicated today.”
Neelam had bought balcony tickets for them, but little did she realise that reaching the exit gates would be the biggest challenge for her children in the cinema hall that lacked fire safety measures, proper lighting, enough pathways and exits to escape the fire.
The crime wasn’t only safety violations at Uphaar. On Monday, a Delhi court sentenced real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal to seven years imprisonment for tampering with evidence in the 1997 case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma said the accused deserved punishment for destroying critical documents which were capable of proving their complicity in the main case.
''The accused have been given maximum punishment for interference in the administration of justice by tampering with court records. The message is loud and clear that the high and mighty cannot get away by tampering with evidence or engaging powerful legal teams,'' said Neelam.
Neelam was an ordinary housewife with little knowledge of the law back in 1997. However, after losing her children and staring at an uphill battle against the Ansals, she studied law and started an association of the victims of Uphaar tragedy whose main objective was to make representations with the central or state government or other authorities in redressing the social and socio-economic grievances of the victims of the tragedy and similar incidents which may occur in future.
Neelam faced threats and intimidation at all stages, and she approached the high court several times. ''Since we were vigilant litigants, we were able to detect the crime of tampering with court records. But what about the common man who does not understand the law?”
She is aware that the accused will appeal in a higher court. Supported by her husband Shekhar Krishnamoorthy in their fight for justice, Neelam is prepared to continue her mission. ''I will not be surprised if they (Ansals) do it tomorrow, but at least they have been convicted and they will go behind bars today.''
Neelam lamented that the accused have not been convicted in the main case but she has taken relief in the fact that the case of tampering of court records has been proved in court. She said this evidence pointed towards their role in the main tragedy. ''The evidence that was tampered included documents like cheques signed by the Ansal brothers in 1995-1997 even though they had claimed that they had resigned as directors in 1988. The documents included minutes of the meetings of board of directors which made it clear that even a nail could not be put in the cinema without their permission.''
When these court records were tampered with, Neeelam was able to gather secondary evidence and visited the court during the pandemic to ensure the trial does not get derailed.
Despite the tragedy, hardships and the long legal battle, her fierce determination helped her withstand all odds. Before she steps out of her house again, she is taking time out to sit with Shekhar, reminiscing her battle that hasn’t ended yet.
