HC orders inquiry into passport issuance to Sushil Ansal

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered the Ministry of External Affairs to probe the officers who repeatedly issued passport to Sushil Ansal, despite his involvement and conviction in the Uphaar cinema blaze that killed 59 people in 1997.

Justice Najmi Waziri directed the Ministry to investigate the circumstances under which the passport was issued to Ansal repeatedly.

The court was hearing a plea by the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) Chairperson Neelam Krishnamoorthy, who alleged that Ansal concealed or gave false information to the authorities for renewal of his passport.

The plea alleged that Ansal obtained the passport through illegal means by suppressing the most material information -- that he was facing criminal charges and had been convicted and sentenced for two years in the Uphaar fire tragedy.