The Hindu: New Delhi: Wednesday, June 28, 2017.
Lieutenant-Governor
Anil Baijal has endorsed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's decision that
clemency for Gopal Ansal, a convict in the Uphaar Cinema fire case, not be
recommended to the President, sources claim.
According to
a source, Mr. Baijal's office had, within days of receiving Delhi Home Minister
Satyendar Jain's recommendation last week against the plea, forwarded the file
related to the decision endorsing the same to the Delhi Home Department. It was
then relayed to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
MHA yet to
get file
The MHA,
which is procedurally supposed to refer it to Rashtrapati Bhavan, however, said
it was yet to receive the file but expected it in the coming days, according to
a source.
When
contacted for comment on the development, Neelam Krishnamoorthy, convenor of
the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), said, “We are glad that
the L-G, too, has rejected the mercy petition; the decision conveys that the
government is serious about sending a strong message about the importance of
the safety of public spaces to their owners.”
Ms.
Krishnamoorthy had called on Mr. Baijal at Raj Niwas last Friday. Sources
claimed the L-G had then taken up the file and directed that it be despatched
to the MHA with his endorsement of the Delhi government's decision at the first
opportunity.
The MHA is
examining a mercy petition filed by Ansal and had sought the opinion of the
ministries concerned as well as the Delhi government before conveying its
decision to the President. The fire at the cinema had claimed the lives of 59
people in June 1997.
Petition
to President
As per a RTI
reply, a mercy petition was filed by Ansal with the President on March 18,
2016, following which the matter was referred to the MHA.
Sources in
the MHA said the matter was then sent to Raj Niwas, which then referred it to
the Delhi government’s Home Department for opinion. A source in the MHA said
the Centre was likely to not recommend mercy in the case.
The Delhi
government had, last Tuesday, recommended that the President reject the mercy
petition . While Sushil Ansal escaped jail term due to his age, Gopal Ansal was
sentenced to one year in prison.
After the
Supreme Court rejected his plea, he surrendered at Tihar Jail in March.
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