By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Monday granted interim bail to a Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) employee who was sentenced to seven years in jail by a trial court for his involvement in the fire tragedy at the Uphaar cinema in 1997 that killed 59 people.
Justice H.R. Malhotra granted three weeks’ interim bail to A.K. Gera and asked him to furnish a bail bond of Rs.25,000 and a surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court.
In December last year, the trial court sentenced five people, including Sushil and Gopal Ansals, owners of the hall, to two-year jail terms each for negligence leading to the fire. The court also sentenced seven others, including Gera, each to seven years in jail.
All 12 convicts have filed their appeal before the high court, which is to hear the final argument.
At least 59 people died due to asphyxia following the fire triggered by a spark in the transformer installed in the cinema hall’s basement, on June 13, 1997 during the screening of the Hindi movie “Border”.