Delhi Police: After 14 years of Uphaar cinema fire tragedy, victims knocked Delhi high court seeking direction to Centre to prosecution of former top cop Amod Kanth for allowing extra seats in the hall

Nearly after 14 years of Uphaar cinema fire tragedy, victims are still fighting for justice and on Friday knocked at the doors of the Delhi high court seeking direction to Centre to grant sanction for prosecution of former top cop Amod Kanth for allowing extra seats in the hall where 59 movie-watchers died in a blaze.

Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notice to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), CBI and Amod Kanth seeking response by November 24.

Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), approached court saying the Centre had declined their plea for granting sanction to prosecute Kanth for allegedly allowing an extra row of seats in Uphaar theatre which blocked the exit.

A total of 59 people, mostly from the upper-floor balcony class, had died in the blaze while over 100 others were injured during the maiden show of blockbuster film Border on June 13, 1997.

AVUT told the high court that it had approached the MHA to seek sanction for Kanth`s prosecution after the trial court had summoned him seeking his stand on its plea for his prosecution.

It said the MHA had responded to its plea on June 23 this year and said, “The matter has been duly examined by the ministry.