Ansals to share cell in Tihar jail

Calcutta News.Net
Thursday 11th September, 2008

From living life in the lap of luxury, real estate tycoon brothers Sushil and Gopal Ansal were Thursday sent to a dingy cell in the Tihar Jail here after the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to them in the 1997 Uphaar theatre fire tragedy that had claimed 59 lives.

The Ansals, who have made their money by building swanky bungalows and hi-tech buildings, are to share a dingy cell in the capital's high security jail.

The brothers were put in the same cell of Jail No 2 with another inmate. As per jail rules, inmates are put in cells according to the alphabets of their names.

'Since they are blood relations, we have lodged them in the same cell after a brief medical examination,' a jail official told IANS.

The Ansals were taken to the jail in a police van at around 6.30 p.m.

According to jail officials, affluent inmates always face a risk from gangs in the jail.

'We are concerned about the security of the Ansals and will do every possible thing to protect them from any harm and threat,' the official said.

Asked what work would be assigned to the Ansals in jail, an official said on condition of strict anonymity: 'It is very unlikely that they would be asked to perform any work in the jail like other inmates.'

'Their taking up any work actually depends on their age and medical fitness. If they declare that they are suffering from any aliment they won't be asked to do anything,' said the official.

'We actually don't think that the Ansal brothers would face any difficulty inside the prison because of their wealth,' the official added.

While Sushil is in his 70s, Gopal is in his 60s. The Supreme Court cancelled their bail on grounds of tampering with evidence.

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