Delhi's Patiala House Court has recently directed that charges be framed against businessman Sushil Ansal in a case linked to the Passport Act. This case pertains to the renewal of a Passport allegedly by concealment.

Add Asianet Newsable as a Preferred Source

The court observed that prima facie, the Accused has consciously concealed the details of criminal cases pending against him as well as the order of conviction. The court said that the accused induced the authority to act in a certain way.

Details of the Charges and Court's Observations

Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Shriya Agrawal has recently directed to framing of charges against Sushil Ansal and listed the matter for framing of charges on January 13, 2026. " Prima facie, there is sufficient material to proceed to frame a charge against the Accused for the offences punishable under Sections 420, 177, 181 IPC and Section 12 of the Passports Act," CJM Shriya Agrawal ordered on November 28. The order was uploaded on December 1.

The court observed, " Based on the material gathered during investigation, it is observed that prima facie, the Accused has consciously concealed the details of criminal cases pending against him as also the order of conviction, in the sworn affidavit filed by him with the passport application filed by him in the year 2013, in the teeth of Section 12 of the Passports Act, as also to have concealed other cases pending against him in the undertaking given with application filed in the year 2018, to induce under misrepresentation, the RPO into issuing the Passport at the relevant time."

The court said that it must be noted that, but for such mis-declaration/ concealment in the two sets of applications, with the aid of deficient police verification reports, the RPO would not have issued the Passports. " The Accused thus has induced the authority into acting in a certain way based on false/ deficient information, benefiting therefrom, by way of gaining wrongfully by being issued the Passport,thereby committing offences punishable under Sections 420 IPC and Section 12 of the Passports Act," the court said in the order.

The court further said that as regards the offences punishable under Sections 177 and 181 IPC, with the Accused not only having furnished false information to a public servant, where the person was under an obligation to furnish true information, and also to have filed a false affidavit with a public servant, both these offences are also made out in the present case. The court said that offences under Sections 192 and 197 of the IPC are not made out in the present case.

Case Background

Delhi Police Crime Branch had registered the present FIR on the order of the Delhi High Court passed on a petition moved by the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) through its General Secretary. During the proceedings of this Petition, it came to the fore that Sushil Ansal had procured Passports on multiple occasions, on applications which were either replete with misdeclarations or suppression of correct facts, the CJM noted in the order.

The present FIR was registered for offences punishable under Sections 420, 177, 181, 192 and 197 of the IPC, along with the offence punishable under Section 12 of the Passports Act. After completion of the investigation, the chargesheet has been filed against the Accused Sushil Ansal for the offences punishable under Sections 177/ 181 IPC and Section 12 of the Passports Act.

Cognisance was taken of the said offences on 27.2.2021 by the court for the crimes punishable under Sections 420, 177, 181, 192 and 197 of the IPC, and the Accused was summoned. Sushil Ansal and other accused were convicted in the Uphar Fire Tragedy case. Uphar cinema hall caught fire during the screening of the Hindi movie Border on June 13, 1997. In this incident, 59 people died. (ANI)