Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at a meeting with Neelam Krishnamoorthy (R) who lost her on and daughter in the Uphaar fire tragedy
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has promised to check whether he can reject the Rs 60 crore that builders Gopal and Sushil Ansal have been asked to pay as fine by the Supreme Court in the Uphaar case, the mother of two children who died in the devastating fire at the south Delhi cinema, has said.
Neelam Krishnamoorthy, whose son and daughter were among 59 people killed in the fire 18 years ago, met Mr Kejriwal this morning and requested him not to accept the money.
Mr Kejriwal's office said the government will seek legal opinion on whether rejecting the money will put the Delhi government in contempt of court or cause a constitutional breakdown.
Nagendar Sharma, the advisor to the Chief Minister, tweeted:
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Ansals, who owned Uphaar cinema in south Delhi, will not be jailed and ordered them to pay Rs 60 crore to be used by the Delhi government to build a new trauma centre.
The Chief Minister has said that the Delhi government has the resources to build a trauma centre and dedicate it to the Uphaar victims. He reportedly told the families that they could decide on a name for the centre.
Mr Kejriwal has also agreed in principle to their demand for a new law with enhanced punishment for man-made disasters like the Uphaar tragedy.
The Ansals were found guilty of causing death by negligence, which carries a maximum jail term of two years. In its order, the Supreme Court restricted their jail term to the period they have already spent in prison.
Sushil Ansal was jailed for five months and Gopal Ansal for four immediately after the tragedy.
At Uphaar, routes to fire exits had been blocked to plant extra seats, turning the cinema hall into a death trap when the fire broke out on June 13, 1997, during a screening of the Bollywood film "Border."
Most of the 59 people killed were trapped in the balcony and died of asphyxiation.