Arguments in Uphaar case to commence on March 8

The case was committed to the sessions court from the court of Metropolitan Magistrate MM Brijesh Sethi. The MM rejected an application seeking a separate trial for Delhi Fire Service official H.S. Panwar, MCD officer Shyam Sunder Sharma and Uphaar cinema hall manager Surinder Dutt, who face charges under Section 304 A causing death due to negligence. The appeal stated that this is a minor offence as against Section 304 culpable homicide not amounting to murder which had been invoked for the remaining accused, the punishment for which is life punishment.

Fifty nine lives were lost in the tragedy that took place on June 13, 1997. After questions were raised about the role of the licensing department, the Uphaar case was transferred to the CBI for investigations. A short-circuit had reportedly taken place in the cinema hall8217;s transformer in 1989 also. There was no casualty reported during the incident.