New Delhi:
The Ansal brothers' plea to change the Supreme Court Bench hearing the Uphaar case has been rejected by the Court Registry. Both the brothers are in jail after the Supreme Court cancelled their bail in September last year.
Ansal brothers were convicted in the Uphaar cinema tragedy case, which claimed 59 lives in Delhi, 12 years ago.
In September last year, a two-judge Bench headed by Justice B N Agrawal had cancelled the Ansal brothers bail and slammed them for tampering with court records, saying, Tampering with court record is a serious offence, worse than murder and dacoity. High Court should not have granted bail.",
Ansals' lawyer wrote to the Supreme Court Registry, requesting change of the Bench on grounds that their counsel Ram Jethmalani doesn't appear before Justice Agrawal. But the Supreme Court Registry rejected the request.
The trial court had convicted Ansal brothers with two years imprisonment for negligence. In December last year, Delhi High Court reduced their sentence to one year. This order has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Sushil Ansal s petition says he had been wrongly convicted as he had ceased to be Director of Uphaar cinema in 1998.
On Friday, their appeal and bail pleas will come before the same Bench.