Victim of Crime and Abuse of Power: Analyzing Procedural Implementation in Case of Uphaar Cinema Fire Tragedy
Keywords:
Uphaar cinema, AVUT v. cinema, paralegals, Gopal and Sushil Ansal, real estate tycoonsAbstract
On 13th July 1997 around evening, the Uphaar cinema had no footlights, emergency lights, or exit lighting, so when the building’s electricity went out, the auditorium was completely turned dark. Also, there was no system in place to inform moviegoers of the fire through public announcements and also no fire extinguishers were even working. It took a long time for moviegoers to even notice that the building was on fire in the pitch-black theatre. In the case of AVUT v. cinema, owners were a prime example of injustice and inefficiency in India and how the victim compensation process takes a long time, victims usually are not compensated right away and there is an infringement of their rights by majorly focusing on just punishing the accused. The AVUT worked tirelessly as researchers, paralegals, and campaigners to obtain justice for their children as well as the countless families who lost loved ones. The 24-year legal battle against Gopal and Sushil Ansal, the cinema’s proprietors, were at the time national capital real estate tycoons with significant wealth and clout, and they were not engaged in a court struggle but rather got saved while trial using power, wealth and influence.
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