New Delhi, Jul 19 (IANS): A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered to release real estate barons Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal, after considering they had already undergone the jail term in the evidence tampering case related to the Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy incident.

District judge Dharmesh Sharma, took note of their old age, in one of their arguments in the appeal. However, the court said the fine of Rs 2.25 crore would remain untouched.

During the course of the hearing, Neelam Krisnamoorthy, petitioner and chairperson of Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) -- a group of persons who lost their children in the Uphaar Cinema tragedy, broke down in the court.

Earlier, senior advocate Vikaas Pahwa, who represented the AVUT, submitted that the ultimate desired result was not just restricted to the tampering of documents and court records, but to secure the acquittal of Sushil Ansal, Gopal Ansal and H.S. Panwar in the main Uphaar case.

On Monday, one of the co-accused, Anup Singh was granted bail in relation with the case.

A detailed order will be made available later in the day.

On November 8, 2021, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House Court, Pankaj Sharma, had sentenced Ansals to seven years imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rs 2.25 crore on both in the evidence tampering case.

On June 13, 1997, halfway through the screening of Hindi film "Border", a fire broke out in the Uphaar cinema, located in Green Park in south Delhi, killing 59 people.