Justice Amit Mahajan of the Delhi High Court recused himself from the Uphaar fire evidence tampering case after concerns about his past legal association with a firm linked to the Ansals. The case will now be heard by another bench on November 6, 2025.
New Delhi: Justice Amit Mahajan of the Delhi High Court has stepped down from hearing the evidence tampering case related to the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire tragedy involving Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal.
The judge recused himself on October 30 after concerns were raised about his earlier professional links to a company connected with the accused.
The case is part of a long legal battle following the tragic Uphaar fire, in which 59 people lost their lives due to asphyxiation, and 103 others were injured in a stampede while trying to escape the burning cinema hall in Delhi’s Green Park on June 13, 1997.
According to the order passed by Justice Mahajan, the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) – representing the families of those who died in the incident – raised an apprehension that since the judge
“at some stage as a counsel had represented M/s. Ansal Housing and Construction Ltd., whose promoter happens to be related to the accused persons in the present matter, she may not get a fair hearing.”
In his order, Justice Mahajan stated that although he found the complaint unfounded, he decided to step away from the case in the interest of fairness.
The court observed,
“Even though the objection raised is meritless and does not have any basis, in order to alley any fear that the complainant may have, in the interest of justice, subject to orders of Hon’ble the Judge In-Charge (Single Benches – Criminal Jurisdiction), list these matters before another Bench on 06.11.2025.”
The order also mentioned that senior lawyers appearing for the petitioners – Sushil and Gopal Ansal – “raised serious objections” to the complainant’s apprehension and argued that
“the matter had already been addressed on October 29.”
Despite these objections, Justice Mahajan chose to recuse himself to ensure that the proceedings remain transparent and free from any doubt.
The case under consideration involves a plea seeking revision of a sessions court’s order regarding the punishment for Sushil and Gopal Ansal and others convicted of tampering with evidence and criminal conspiracy connected to the Uphaar tragedy.
The victims’ association has been demanding stricter punishment, arguing that the previous sentences were too lenient.
Earlier, in November 2021, a magistrate court had convicted the Ansal brothers and sentenced them to seven years in jail for evidence tampering. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.25 crore on each of them.
However, in July 2022, the sessions court upheld their conviction but reduced their jail term to the period already undergone — a little over eight months — and ordered their release.
The appeals filed by the victims’ association are aimed at increasing the punishment for the convicts. The Delhi High Court has now ordered that the matter be placed before another bench for hearing on November 6, 2025.
This development marks another chapter in the decades-long quest for justice for the families of the Uphaar tragedy victims. Justice Mahajan’s recusal, while describing the objection as “meritless,” reflects a judicial approach prioritizing impartiality and public confidence in the fairness of the court process.
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