The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday vehemently opposed the plea of the 12 convicts -- held guilty in the Uphaar fire tragedy case -- asking to be released on probation, and sought maximum penalty prescribed under the penal provision.

A Delhi court will on Friday pronounce the quantum of sentence against the convicts, including theatre owners Sushil and Gopal Ansal.

The counsel for convicts had on Wednesday submitted that they should either be sentenced only to a fine or be released on probation; a custodial punishment was not mandatory for the provisions of the law under which they have been held guilty.

The court had on Tuesday convicted Sushil and Gopal Ansal, two Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials -- Shyam Sunder Sharma and N D Tiwari -- and Delhi Fire Service Officer H S Panwar under Sections 304A and 337 and 338 of the IPC, which pertain to endangering human lives.

Seven others, including those responsible for managing day-to-day affairs of Uphaar and three Delhi Vidyut Board officials, were convicted for graver charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 of the IPC, entailing maximum punishment of life term.

A major fire had engulfed the Uphaar theatre in south Delhi on June 13, 1997, during the screening of Hindi film Border, leading to the death of 59 people due to asphyxiation.