Recalled as one of India's worst fire catastrophes, the Uphaar cinema fire on 13 June&nbsp;1997, in Delhi's Green Park locality resulted in 59 deaths and 103 injuries.&nbsp;The victims were frequent moviegoers who had gone&nbsp;to watch the movie&nbsp;"Border" by J P Dutta.

With the release of&nbsp;a mini-series “Trial by Fire” on Netflix which is based on a book about the incident and the long-drawn court battle that ensued,&nbsp;we take an in-depth look at what exactly happened.&nbsp;

<h2>Uphaar Tragedy: What exactly happened on 13 June 1997?</h2>

On&nbsp;the morning on 13 June 1997,&nbsp;the larger of the two transformers on the ground floor of the Uphaar cinema caught fire at around 6:55 am. Despite the fact that the fire was quickly put out, the transformer was compromised, as reported by the&nbsp;Indian Express.&nbsp;

An electrician fixed it quickly, and the theatre was then opened. The transformer caught fire again because the repair wasn't done properly after one of its cables broke free and caused a lot of sparking.

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According to reports, the transformer lacked an oil soak pit, which is required by law, and allowed the burning oil to spread to other places. Even distant automobiles were engulfed in the fire.&nbsp;

The theatre lost power, and smoke started to fill in. While viewers seated on the lower floor were able to find an escape, those seated on the balcony were trapped. As a result,&nbsp;59 people died inside due to asphyxiation -&nbsp;&nbsp;suffocation from a lack of oxygen.&nbsp;

Over 103 people&nbsp;were critically injured during a scramble to escape the theatre. Most importantly, it took fire tenders nearly an hour to get to the scene owing to traffic.

<h2>The lapses in safety measures</h2>

The tragic fire was caused by a number of failures in "safety measures." The&nbsp;Indian Express&nbsp;quoted senior advocate Harish Salve, who was appearing on behalf of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the&nbsp;Delhi&nbsp;High Court in 2007, “Safety measures, meant for panic situations, were not in place in the ill-fated theatre… the persons, who were getting financial gains from the operation of the cinema, were criminally liable for the lapses.”

The investigation stated that the generator that caught fire lacked safety features and, more crucially, was installed in a space that was being utilised as a parking lot which&nbsp;made it easier for gasoline-powered vehicles to catch fire, as reported by the Indian Express.

Additional information claimed that the generator had not received the periodic maintenance mandated by law.

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When the theatre lost electricity, the movie hall became completely dark since it lacked emergency lighting, footlights, or exit lights. The audience was not informed of the fire via any public notice system, reported the Indian Express.&nbsp;

<h2>A protracted legal battle</h2>

Victims and surviving family members of the deceased sought to hold the theatre owners accountable in a protracted court case. 16 defendants, including the business owners Sushil and Gopal Ansal, were named in the original charge sheet submitted by the CBI conducting the investigation. However, the trial had many unexpected turns. Even now, there is a case of evidence tampering against the Ansals, thus the quest for justice continues.

The Ansal brothers were found guilty of criminal negligence in 2007, 10 years after the fire, and were given the maximum term that could be imposed in such a case: two years in jail. The Delhi High Court maintained the verdict but reduced the sentence to one year after a year.&nbsp;

The case was heard by the Supreme Court for over ten years. The two brothers were ordered to pay a fine of Rs 30 crores each in 2017, which was used to build a trauma centre, by the supreme court. Sushil Ansal, who has already served five months in prison, was spared additional time in prison due to his advanced age (77) and medical issues. Gopal was sentenced to a year in jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Compensation for the deceased's kin was set at Rs&nbsp;10 lakh for those above the age of 20, and Rs&nbsp;7.5 lakh for those under the age of 20. Each injured individual receives Rs&nbsp;1 lakh.

The brothers were convicted for tampering with evidence in a different case. A&nbsp;Delhi court sentenced both of them to seven years of simple jail in 2021. The court additionally fined each of the Ansals Rs&nbsp;2.5 crore. The brothers have challenged their conviction in this ongoing case.

<h2>Shekhar and Neelam Krishnamoorthy: The couple that lost their kids to the Uphaar tragedy</h2>

“We didn’t spend as much time with our children on this Earth as we have seeking justice for their murders. We are serving a living death sentence; it has been 26 years, and it is still on,” Shekhar and Neelam Krishnamoorthy told&nbsp;The Indian Express&nbsp;before the release of the Netflix series&nbsp;that&nbsp;chronicles the couple's fight for justice.

In 2022,&nbsp;Gopal and Sushil Ansal were released from jail. The court had indicated that the ruling was based on taking the ages of the brothers into account, despite the fact that nothing could make up for what the victims' families had lost.&nbsp;

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Recalled as one of India's worst fire catastrophes, the Uphaar cinema fire on 13 June 1997, in Delhi's Green Park locality resulted in 59 deaths and 103 injuries.

Recalled as one of India's worst fire catastrophes, the Uphaar cinema fire on 13 June 1997, in Delhi's Green Park locality resulted in 59 deaths and 103 injuries. The victims were frequent moviegoers who had gone to watch the movie "Border" by J P Dutta. With the release of a mini-series “Trial by Fire” on Netflix which is based on a book about the incident and the long-drawn court battle that ensued, we take an in-depth look at what exactly happened. Uphaar Tragedy: What exactly happened on 13 June 1997? On the morning on 13 June 1997, the larger of the two transformers on the ground floor of the Uphaar cinema caught fire at around 6:55 am. Despite the fact that the fire was quickly put out, the transformer was compromised, as reported by the Indian Express. An electrician fixed it quickly, and the theatre was then opened. The transformer caught fire again because the repair wasn't done properly after one of its cables broke free and caused a lot of sparking. Also read | Did you know James Cameron's 'Avatar' films are subconsciously linked to India? According to reports, the transformer lacked an oil soak pit, which is required by law, and allowed the burning oil to spread to other places. Even distant automobiles were engulfed in the fire. The theatre lost power, and smoke started to fill in. While viewers seated on the lower floor were able to find an escape, those seated on the balcony were trapped. As a result, 59 people died inside due to asphyxiation - suffocation from a lack of oxygen. Over 103 people were critically injured during a scramble to escape the theatre. Most importantly, it took fire tenders nearly an hour to get to the scene owing to traffic. The lapses in safety measures The tragic fire was caused by a number of failures in "safety measures." The Indian Express quoted senior advocate Harish Salve, who was appearing on behalf of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Delhi High Court in 2007, “Safety measures, meant for panic situations, were not in place in the ill-fated theatre… the persons, who were getting financial gains from the operation of the cinema, were criminally liable for the lapses.” The investigation stated that the generator that caught fire lacked safety features and, more crucially, was installed in a space that was being utilised as a parking lot which made it easier for gasoline-powered vehicles to catch fire, as reported by the Indian Express. Additional information claimed that the generator had not received the periodic maintenance mandated by law. Also read | Relief for Delhi! City's temperature not likely to drop to subzero amid -4 degrees Celsius prediction When the theatre lost electricity, the movie hall became completely dark since it lacked emergency lighting, footlights, or exit lights. The audience was not informed of the fire via any public notice system, reported the Indian Express. A protracted legal battle Victims and surviving family members of the deceased sought to hold the theatre owners accountable in a protracted court case. 16 defendants, including the business owners Sushil and Gopal Ansal, were named in the original charge sheet submitted by the CBI conducting the investigation. However, the trial had many unexpected turns. Even now, there is a case of evidence tampering against the Ansals, thus the quest for justice continues. The Ansal brothers were found guilty of criminal negligence in 2007, 10 years after the fire, and were given the maximum term that could be imposed in such a case: two years in jail. The Delhi High Court maintained the verdict but reduced the sentence to one year after a year. The case was heard by the Supreme Court for over ten years. The two brothers were ordered to pay a fine of Rs 30 crores each in 2017, which was used to build a trauma centre, by the supreme court. Sushil Ansal, who has already served five months in prison, was spared additional time in prison due to his advanced age (77) and medical issues. Gopal was sentenced to a year in jail. Compensation for the deceased's kin was set at Rs 10 lakh for those above the age of 20, and Rs 7.5 lakh for those under the age of 20. Each injured individual receives Rs 1 lakh. The brothers were convicted for tampering with evidence in a different case. A Delhi court sentenced both of them to seven years of simple jail in 2021. The court additionally fined each of the Ansals Rs 2.5 crore. The brothers have challenged their conviction in this ongoing case. Shekhar and Neelam Krishnamoorthy: The couple that lost their kids to the Uphaar tragedy “We didn’t spend as much time with our children on this Earth as we have seeking justice for their murders. We are serving a living death sentence; it has been 26 years, and it is still on,” Shekhar and Neelam Krishnamoorthy told The Indian Express before the release of the Netflix series that chronicles the couple's fight for justice. In 2022, Gopal and Sushil Ansal were released from jail. The court had indicated that the ruling was based on taking the ages of the brothers into account, despite the fact that nothing could make up for what the victims' families had lost. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Netflix's 'Trial by Fire': Everything about the Uphaar cinema fire of 1997

The Delhi High Court today directed a lower court to pronounce its verdict in a case relating to the alleged tampering of documents during the trial of the main 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case by November 30 this year.

Justice Anu Malhotra also sought a status report on trial in the matter by September 7.

The trial court is directed to complete the proceedings in the case and pronounce the judgement by November 30, 2018. A status report is called for on September 7, 2018, the court said.

The high court also asked the Delhi government and other parties in the case to cooperate in the trial to expedite disposal of the matter.

Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, representing the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), sought a day-to-day trial in the case related to tampering of evidence in the main case.

He said the lower court was giving only one date each month, leading to a delay in the trial.

The state and the Delhi police, however, said that they were assisting the court so proceedings are expedited.

On January 17, the high court had sought details of a case relating to the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy which was being heard by a trial court. This was after the victims&#39; group moved a plea for a speedy trial in the matter.

The high court sought to know the status and number of witnesses being cross-examined in the case relating to the alleged tampering of documents during trial of the main case, which involved real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal.

It sought to know the details of pending matters before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at the Patiala House court here.

On June 13, 1997, a fire broke out at the theatre during the screening of Bollywood film &#39;Border&#39;, killing 59 people and injuring over 100.

On January 31, 2003, a trial court ordered an inquiry after some documents related to the case went missing from the court&#39;s record room. After an inquiry, a court employee was dismissed from service.

The case is related to the tampering of a judicial file pertaining to a letter written by Vice President of Ansal Properties Industries Ltd, VK Nagpal, to the Delhi Fire Service. An FIR was registered in this regard.

&quot;It is important to note, that even in the main Uphaar fire tragedy case, the entire trial was concluded within a period of 10 years with the intervention of this court.

&quot;However, in the instant case, which arises out tampering with the original court records of the Uphaar fire tragedy case, despite 10 years from the date of registration of FIR, not a single prosecution witness has been able to complete their deposition,&quot; the plea by association president Neelam Krishnamoorthy said.

The Delhi High Court had on May 12 last year, upheld a trial court order framing charges of tampering of evidence against the Ansals.

A magisterial court on May 31, 2014 ordered framing of charges against seven accused for abatement of offence, causing disappearance of evidence, criminal breach of trust by public servant and criminal conspiracy under the IPC.

Theatre owners Gopal Ansal and his brother Sushil Ansal, Anoop Singh, Prem Prakash Batra, Harswaroop Panwar, Dharamveer Malhotra and Dinesh Chandra Sharma were accused of tampering with evidence in the case, pending since 2006.

All the accused have denied the allegations against them.

The Delhi High Court had on May 12 last year, upheld a trial court order framing charges of tampering of evidence against the Ansals

The Delhi High Court today directed a lower court to pronounce its verdict in a case relating to the alleged tampering of documents during the trial of the main 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case by November 30 this year. Justice Anu Malhotra also sought a status report on trial in the matter by September 7. The trial court is directed to complete the proceedings in the case and pronounce the judgement by November 30, 2018. A status report is called for on September 7, 2018, the court said. The high court also asked the Delhi government and other parties in the case to cooperate in the trial to expedite disposal of the matter. Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, representing the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), sought a day-to-day trial in the case related to tampering of evidence in the main case. He said the lower court was giving only one date each month, leading to a delay in the trial. The state and the Delhi police, however, said that they were assisting the court so proceedings are expedited. On January 17, the high court had sought details of a case relating to the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy which was being heard by a trial court. This was after the victims' group moved a plea for a speedy trial in the matter. The high court sought to know the status and number of witnesses being cross-examined in the case relating to the alleged tampering of documents during trial of the main case, which involved real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal. It sought to know the details of pending matters before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at the Patiala House court here. On June 13, 1997, a fire broke out at the theatre during the screening of Bollywood film 'Border', killing 59 people and injuring over 100. On January 31, 2003, a trial court ordered an inquiry after some documents related to the case went missing from the court's record room. After an inquiry, a court employee was dismissed from service. The case is related to the tampering of a judicial file pertaining to a letter written by Vice President of Ansal Properties Industries Ltd, VK Nagpal, to the Delhi Fire Service. An FIR was registered in this regard. "It is important to note, that even in the main Uphaar fire tragedy case, the entire trial was concluded within a period of 10 years with the intervention of this court. "However, in the instant case, which arises out tampering with the original court records of the Uphaar fire tragedy case, despite 10 years from the date of registration of FIR, not a single prosecution witness has been able to complete their deposition," the plea by association president Neelam Krishnamoorthy said. The Delhi High Court had on May 12 last year, upheld a trial court order framing charges of tampering of evidence against the Ansals. A magisterial court on May 31, 2014 ordered framing of charges against seven accused for abatement of offence, causing disappearance of evidence, criminal breach of trust by public servant and criminal conspiracy under the IPC. Theatre owners Gopal Ansal and his brother Sushil Ansal, Anoop Singh, Prem Prakash Batra, Harswaroop Panwar, Dharamveer Malhotra and Dinesh Chandra Sharma were accused of tampering with evidence in the case, pending since 2006. All the accused have denied the allegations against them.

Uphaar fire tragedy: High court asks lower court to decide tampering case by November 30

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Netflix's 'Trial by Fire': Everything about the Uphaar cinema fire of 1997

Uphaar fire tragedy: High court asks lower court to decide tampering case by November 30