The fire broke out at the Uphaar Cinema on a Fiday evening. Many of the 60 who died had choked and over a 100 have been injured in the stampede.
The Ansal brothers, real estate barons, must go to jail for the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy, the CBI says, but was today denied "15 minutes more" to argue its point in the Supreme Court, which yesterday said the builders will pay a 60-crore fine but will not be arrested.
The CBI, which investigated the case, was told it is free to file an appeal or a review petition against the verdict, asking the Supreme Court judges to re-examine their decision.
Senior lawyer Harish Salve, appearing for the CBI, had said: "I have been appearing in the case for the last 16 years. Give us 15 minutes to argue our case because some points were not argued."
On Wednesday, brothers Gopal and Sushil Ansal were not sent to jail but were fined for the massive fire in which nearly 60 people were killed at the Uphaar cinema they owned in Delhi.
In 1997 on a Friday evening, the Uphaar cinema during a packed show of hit film "Border" turned into a death trap when it went up in flames. Men, women and children choked to death as routes to fire exits had been blocked to accommodate extra seats; 100 others were injured in a stampede as people rushed towards several doors to find them locked.
Last year, the Supreme Court found the Ansals guilty of criminal negligence, and indicted the Ansal brothers for being "more interested in making money" than in ensuring the security of their customers; however, the judges differed on how much jail time they merited.
The Ansals had many years earlier served a few months each in prison.
Neelam Krishnamurthy, whose young son and daughter died in the Uphaar fire, broke down on hearing the Supreme Court verdict. "I've been let down very badly. Can the money ever be a substitute for losing your children?" she said.
The Rs. 60 crore due from the Ansals within three months is to be paid to the Delhi government for the building of a trauma centre.