The real estate barons, Sushil and Gopal Ansal, who had been sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment  by a sessions court earlier in the case of the June 13, 1997 Uphaar cinema fire, may breathe easy now as the  Delhi High Court on Friday commuted the two-year rigorous imprisonment to one year. It gave precedence to the mitigating factors that the brothers had no previous criminal record, their education and respect in society, over their culpability. Upholding the conviction order of the lower court, the judge also reduced the jail terms of three electricity and fire officials and a gatekeeper of the cinema hall, while acquitting five others.  

The court pulled up the CBI for not carrying out investigations against the senior officials of Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Vidyut Board. Although the decision drew sharp criticism from the families of victims who had pleaded for enhancing the punishment, the Ansal’s counsel, Mr Ramesh Gupta, said they would challenge the conviction in the Supreme Court.