Uphaar cinema tragedy: 28 years on, families remember the 59 who died in blaze

This year marks the 28th anniversary of the Uphaar Cinema fire that broke out on June 13, 1997, claiming 59 lives due to asphyxiation and leaving hundreds injured in the ensuing stampede

Families of the 59 people who died in the Uphaar fire tragedy meet annually to remember their loved ones. (Express Photo/Abhinav Saha)

Families of the 59 people who died meet annually to remember their loved ones. (Express Photo/Abhinav Saha)

3 min readNew DelhiJun 14, 2025 04:20 AM IST First published on: Jun 13, 2025 at 08:46 PM IST

“We have a parallel criminal justice (system), one for the rich and powerful and one for the poor,” said Neelam Krishnamoorthy, the face of the campaign seeking justice for the victims of the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy, at Smriti Upvan on Friday.

The fire, which broke out on June 13, 1997, claimed 59 lives due to asphyxiation and left hundreds injured in the ensuing stampede. Neelam and her husband, Shekhar, lost their children — 17-year-old Unnati and 13-year-old Ujjwal — in the blaze.

Families of the victims meet annually to remember their loved ones. Friday marked the 28th anniversary of the incident.

Taking down photos of the deceased pinned on a soft board post the ceremony, Neelam remarked, “I have kept these pictures for 28 years, the irony is many family members have died since.”

As president of the Association of Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), she and her husband have led a long struggle for justice. “The courts are testing my patience, but I’ve not given up because I have promised my children that we will get justice for them,” she added.

Amidst calls for justice, the Uphaar cinema in Green Park stands bearing the marks of the blazing tragedy, with a warning sign that reads “stay away.” (Express Photo/Abhinav Saha)

In July 2022, a Delhi court granted relief to the owners of the cinema hall, Gopal and Sushil Ansal, ordering their release from jail by asking them to serve only the sentence already undergone, in a case of tampering with evidence in the Uphaar case. The court observed that a trial court had earlier passed a sentence that was “punitive and retributive in nature” to teach them a lesson. A magisterial court had convicted and awarded seven-year jail terms to Ansals, besides imposing a fine of Rs 2.25 crore on each.

Neelam said, “The judge said the accused also suffered, but how can they compare it with the pain of a mother who lost both of her children? Had it been an ordinary citizen, he would’ve been languishing behind bars.”

In 2015, the Supreme Court imposed a Rs 60-crore fine on the accused brothers in lieu of a custodial sentence. (Express Photo/Abhinav Saha)

In 2015, the Supreme Court imposed a Rs 60-crore fine on the accused brothers in lieu of a custodial sentence. The amount was deposited with the Delhi government and was earmarked for building a second trauma centre, in memory of the victims, as an extension of AIIMS in Dwarka. However, this project has remained stalled.

The Association of Victims of Uphaar Fire Tragedy (AVUT) will be observing the 28th death anniversary of the Uphaar Cinema fire. (Express Photo/Abhinav Saha)

Neelam has since approached the apex court enquiring about the trauma centre.

Amidst calls for justice, the Uphaar cinema in Green Park stands bearing the marks of the blazing tragedy, with a warning sign that reads “stay away.”

# 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy