Compensations to Uphaar fire victims halved

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has drastically reduced the compensation to be paid to the next of kin of victims of the Uphaar Theatre fire tragedy, in which 59 people were charred to death in June 1997.

The court also absolved the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Police from their liability to pay compensation.

A bench comprising Justice RV Raveendran and Justice KS Radhakrishnan reduced the compensation from 18 lakh to 10 lakh for those who were over 20 years and to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 15 lakh for those who were less than 20 years when they died in the accident.

However, the apex court refused to make any change in the amount of 1 lakh compensation to each injured with 9% interest on such amount payable from July 14, 1997.

The compensation would be paid only by theatre owner Ansal brothers Gopal and Sushil and erstwhile Delhi Vidyut Board. The court enhanced the share of Ansals in payment of the compensation from 55% to 85%. Though the court enhanced the liability to 85% on Ansals, with the amount reduced considerably, the theatre owners would still pay a sum less than what was imposed on them by the HC.

As a natural corollary, the punitive damages to be paid by Ansal brothers to the Centre came down to Rs 25 lakh from Rs 2.5 crore. The bench said, if the claimant of the compensation were aggrieved by the reduction of compensation, they could approach the Delhi HC seeking enhancement of the amount.

The high court would not turn down their plea on the ground of delay even if 14 years have passed since the tragedy, the apex court said. The HC had fastened 55% of the compensation amount on Ansals, 15% each on DVB, MCD and Delhi Police.

Of the 59 who died, 36 were adults and 23 minors. The fire had left 103 injured. The Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) termed the apex court ruling as disappointing. Neelam Krishnamurthy, who lost two children in the tragedy and who spearheaded the association, said "we have been fighting for the last 15 years.

Our fight was not about money. We wanted people to get safer public places and the only way to do this was by putting pressure on corporates. Corporates are being benefited by such judgments. So, many more Uphaars will happen."