NEW DELHI: Delhi High court has deferred its verdict in the Uphaar cinema hall fire tragedy till October 22. Almost 59 people were killed in a fire at the cinema hall while a film was being screened. The victims died of asphyxia when a transformer of the erstwhile Delhi Vidyut Board in the basement caught fire and rapidly engulfed the entire theatre.

The investigation of the June 13, 1997 tragic incident in which 16 persons were initially named as accused was handed over from Delhi Police to the CBI. Four accused had died during the pendency of the trial, which was expedited following the Delhi High Court direction to conclude the hearing by August 2007.

The verdict in the case in which the charge sheet was filed on November 15, 1997 was reserved on August 21 by Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Sehgal. The CBI had contended that the hall owners were directly and criminally negligent in the management of the theatre in which people died of asphyxia as a result of fire which broke out from the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) transformer, installed at the ground floor of the theatre.