Uphaar theatre owner Gopal Ansal surrenders after SC refuses to grant more time

New Delhi: Uphaar theatre owner Gopal Ansal surrendered before the Tihar jail authorities here on Monday evening, hours after the Supreme Court refused to grant him more time.

Earlier in the day, the apex court had declined to grant him more time to surrender and asked him to undergo his rest of the jail term.

He will now have to spend one year in jail in connection with the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy in which over 100 people were killed.

''Sorry, we can't," said the Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul.

On behalf of Ansal, senior counsel Ram Jethmalani had urged the court to give him a few more days to surrender.

Rejecting his plea, the bench noted that Gopal Ansal had already approached the president for mercy and pardon.

On June 13, 1997, more than 100 people were killed when a huge fire broke out at the Uphaar cinema hall when Hindi movie "Border" was being screened.

Over 100 people were also injured in a stampede that ensued after the inferno engulfed the building.

The court case continued for 20 years.