SC unhappy with cinema halls
The Supreme Court on Monday lamented that 95% of the cinema halls and commercial establishments in the country lack proper fire safety arrangements and this could lead to incidents like the Uphaar cinema tragedy in which 59 people lost their lives on June 13, 1997.
The court made the observation during a hearing where the CBI sought enhanced punishment for the Ansal brothers, Sushil and Gopal, who own the Uphaar cinema hall in South Delhi. The CBI on Monday told the Supreme Court that it supports the demand for enhanced punishment for the Ansal brothers.
"This is the story of India. Almost 95% of cinema halls and commercial complexes don't abide by the law. What is your government doing? In this country, nobody bothers about humanity," a bench of Justices B.N. Aggrawal and G.S. Singhvi observed.
Senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the investigating agency, recalled certain vivid instances of fire at Uphaar hall during the screening of the Hindi film Border, which reportedly occurred due to the management's criminal negligence. Instead of having seven to eight exit doors, there was only one exit door available to cinegoers on the fateful day, trapping the 59 victims in the inferno and killing them due to asphyxiation, he added.
Check out:
Celebrity and Movie Photo Galleries
Listen to songs and download them
