
Maha Kumbh stampede: HC asks UP govt to consider compensation claim of victim's family
1
2
Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court has asked the state govt to consider a compensation claim made by a petitioner who claimed that his wife died during the Maha Kumbh stampede on Mauni Amavasya, early Jan 29 morning.
Hearing a writ petition filed by one Uday Prtap Singh, a division bench comprising Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Sandeep Jain said on Friday: "Prima facie, we find the stand taken (by the state govt) to be untenable and smacking of apathy to the plight of the citizen, inasmuch as the occurrence may have been caused for reasons beyond the control of the state, at the same time having realised the consequence of that occurrence and having announced a scheme for payment of ex gratia compensation, it was the bounden duty of the state to pay up the compensation to the aggrieved families with utmost grace and dignity.
"
The court was 'alarmed at the fact' that the body was handed over in February but no compensation had been paid to the family of the deceased.The bench directed the case to be put up as fresh on July 18, 2025.
The petitioner had sought compensation, saying that he was the husband of the deceased, who had succumbed to the injuries during the stampede. The court directed the state authorities to consider the claim of the petitioner on its own merit on the strength of the petition and a copy of the petition be treated as a copy of representation.
The court expressed concerns over a dead body of a stampede victim in Kumbh Mela being handed over to the family without any autopsy or post mortem by the state run Motilal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj.
"If a person was admitted to any hospital, documentation offered by the government agencies should reflect the same and should have been communicated to the petitioner. If any patient was brought dead to a hospital, that statement should have also been recorded and made known to the concerned," the court said.
"In any case, it should have been made known to the petitioner, from which hospital and in what circumstance, the dead body of his wife came to be deposited in the mortuary from where it was handed over to the petitioner's son. If that body had been found lying unclaimed at any place, appropriate police action ought to have been taken or followed that discovery of the dead body. No fact disclosure in that regard, exists," it added.
Observing that the citizens were not at fault, the court said that the state was duty bound to offer remedies and care, where such unintended loss was suffered by the citizens.
The court also sought detailed affidavits disclosing all deaths and medical handling of victims between January 28, 2025, and the end of the mela (Feb 26). The court also ordered disclosure of the number of claims received, settled, and pending, highlighting the state's responsibility as trustee of its citizens.
The court directed impleadment of multiple medical institutions and authorities in Prayagraj as parties to the petition and directed them to file affidavits disclosing all deaths and medical handling of victims between January 28, 2025 and the end of the Mela.
The affidavits must disclose full facts (date-wise) of all patients and dead bodies that may have been brought to those facilities and establishments under their control and of dead bodies dispatched by them, beginning January 28, 2025 to the end of the Kumbh Mela, the court directed.
The court has further directed them to furnish details regarding any person who would have been declared dead or brought dead to any medical facility including the details of the doctors who would have treated them.
Lastly, the court directed the state government to furnish details regarding compensation claims received and disbursed along with the details of pending claims.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scroll.in
an hour ago
- Scroll.in
Rush Hour: Congress says Centre failed to protect Indians, HC seeks Bengaluru stampede report & more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. Support Scroll's studio fund today. The Congress has accused the Narendra Modi-led government of failing to protect the honour of Indians after photos and videos showing an Indian student being handcuffed and pinned to the floor at the Newark Airport in the United States. Party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh urged the prime minister to speak to US President Donald Trump to address the 'fear that has gripped lakhs of Indian students in America'. Ramesh said that Modi had not been able to summon the courage to speak about the 'atrocities being perpetrated against Indians in the US'. On Monday, the Consulate General of India in New York said it was in touch with local authorities about the case. The man who shot the video said that the student appeared to have been pinned to the ground because 'he was a little violent, and he was feeling disoriented'. More on Scroll. The Karnataka High Court has told the state government to submit a status report in a sealed cover on the stampede in Bengaluru on June 4. Eleven persons were killed in the stampede at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where fans had gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory in the Indian Premier League. The High Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident on June 5, and sought a report from the Karnataka government. However, on Tuesday, state Advocate General KM Shashikiran Shetty told the court that the government would not like to place the findings of an investigation in the public domain while a judicial inquiry was underway. The judicial commission has been told to submit its findings within a month. The case in the High Court will be heard further on Thursday. More on Scroll. Opposition leaders have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh of hiding the real toll from the January 29 stampede at the Maha Kumbh pilgrimage site at Prayagraj. They cited a report published by the BBC on Tuesday which claimed that 82 persons had died in the stampede, as against the official toll of 37. Previously too, media reports have said that the actual toll from the stampede could be significantly higher. Citing the BBC report, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Tuesday that 'no information management can stop the truth from coming out'. More on Scroll. United States President Donald Trump has ordered the Marine Corps to be deployed in Los Angeles amid protests against immigration raids. Over 700 Marines based out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in California were mobilised to respond to the protests. The troops will join the National Guard – a reserve component of the US military – deployed over the weekend to quell the protests against raids and arrests carried out as part of a crackdown on undocumented migrants. The Marine Corps is a branch of the US Armed Forces that acts as a crisis response force. It is rarely deployed domestically during civil disturbances in support of a police operation. Read on.


The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
top news of the day june 10 2025
Terrorism should be treated as global issue, not bilateral problem, says Jaishankar Terrorism should be addressed as a global issue rather than a bilateral problem, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, as he highlighted the historical connection of many of the terror-related incidents globally to Pakistan. Addressing the Indian community members in Belgium, Mr. Jaishankar apprised them of India's counter-terrorism efforts. Nine dead in school shooting in Austrian city of Graz; suspected gunman dead Nine people were killed in a shooting at a school in the Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday, and the suspected perpetrator also died, authorities said. Police said they believe the assailant acted alone. They said on social network X that 10 people were dead, including the shooter, and 'several' were seriously wounded. TMC MP Saket Gokhale issues public apology to former diplomat Lakshmi Puri Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament Saket Gokhale issued an unconditional public apology to former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri over a series of defamatory tweets he had posted in 2021 regarding her purchase of property abroad. The apology comes in compliance with the Delhi High Court's order, which had directed Mr Gokhale to publicly apologise and pay ₹50 lakh in damages to Ms. Puri for the defamatory statements. The court had earlier restrained him from making further comments against the former Indian diplomat, who is also the wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Chances high for Singapore-flagged ship that caught fire off Kerala coast to sink along with dangerous cargo Even as the Coast Guard has been continuing efforts to douse a fire on a Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503 in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kerala, the chances for salvaging the ship are a highly arduous task considering the current prevailing situation of the ship. According to K. Mohandas, a former Shipping Secretary, the main challenge involved in salvaging the ship and the dangerous cargo onboard was the report of the ship listing around 10-15 degrees on one side. Maha Kumbh stampede death toll: Akhilesh Yadav says Uttar Pradesh Government lied; cites media report Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accused the Uttar Pradesh Government of lying about the death toll in the January 29 Maha Kumbh stampede and said that those who provide 'false statistics' are not worthy of public trust. Mr. Yadav made the remarks in a post on X, citing a BBC report which claimed that 82 people died in the stampede. The toll is significantly higher than the official figure of 37. Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka High Court posts next hearing on June 12, Advocate General to file reply in sealed cover The High Court of Karnataka posted to June 12 the next hearing on a petition initiated by it on the June 4 stampede at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru that claimed 11 lives. The court ordered Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty to file a reply in a sealed cover. During the hearing, the A-G submitted that he has not yet filed his reply. He said a judicial commission has been constituted, giving a one-month timeline for a report. He also noted that police officers have been suspended. He requested permission for a sealed-envelope submission, stating that in the pending bail petitions being heard concurrently, any statements made in the case were being used by the accused. Axiom-4 mission: All eyes on weather conditions as agencies target June 11 launch Even as the launch of Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has once again been postponed, agencies associated with launch activities are closely monitoring the weather conditions at Florida in the USA. The Axiom-4 mission (AX-4) to the ISS, which was scheduled on June 10 at 8.22 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) from Launch Complex 39A at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was postponed to June 11 due to weather conditions. Israel deports Greta Thunberg, other activists after Gaza-bound ship intercepted Swedish activist Greta Thunberg departed Israel after being detained aboard the Madleen, a Gaza-bound aid ship intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters, the Israeli foreign ministry said. Ms. Thunberg was on a flight to France, where she would continue her journey to Sweden, the Ministry said. Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early on Monday (June 9, 2025), trying to break through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave, and seized the 12-strong crew, including Swedish campaigner Thunberg. Protests against arrest of Arambai Tenggol leader continues in Manipur; two policemen injured 'Manipur continued to witness protests as demonstrators defied Prohibitory Orders and clashed with security forces across several districts of Imphal valley demanding the unconditional release of the arrested Arambai Tenggol leader Kanan Singh and four others,' police said on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). Clashes erupted in Khurai Lamlong area of Imphal East district on Monday (June 9, 2025) night, prompting security personnel to fire several rounds of tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. 'At least one four-wheeler was reportedly torched by the protesters,' police said. PM Modi says NDA govt. focussed on modernisation, self-reliance in defence production Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) that significant changes have unfolded in the defence sector in the 11 years of his government, with a clear focus on both modernisation and self-reliance in defence production. He said on X, 'The last 11 years have marked significant changes in our defence sector, with a clear focus on both modernisation and becoming self reliant when it comes to defence production. It is gladdening to see how the people of India have come together with the resolve of making India stronger.' Sibal questions Dhankar's 'inaction' on impeachment notice against Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal questioned why Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had not taken any action on the notice for moving an impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court Judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav, and alleged the government was trying to save the judge after he made 'entirely communal' remarks last year. Speaking on the subject of the Uniform Civil Code, Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav of Allahabad High Court on December 8, 2024 reportedly said that Hindus did not expect Muslims to follow their culture but only wanted them not to disrespect the same. Three killed in fire at housing apartment in Delhi's Dwarka A father and his two children died when a fire broke out in their seventh floor apartment in Delhi's Dwarka area, police said. They jumped down from their flat in panic but could not be saved. Visuals from the building in Sector 13 area showed flames and thick smoke billowing out. Ukraine says Russia launched the biggest overnight drone bombardment of the war Russia launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment of the three-year war, the Ukrainian air force said Monday, as the Kremlin presses its summer offensive amid direct peace talks that have yet to deliver progress on stopping the fighting. Despite the difficulties in reaching a ceasefire, Russia and Ukraine swapped another batch of prisoners of war Monday. In addition to the 479 drones, 20 missiles of various types were fired at different parts of Ukraine from Sunday to Monday, according to the air force, which said the barrage targeted mainly central and western areas. Apple unveils software redesign while reeling from AI missteps, tech upheaval, and Trump's trade war After stumbling out of the starting gate in Big Tech's pivotal race to capitalise on artificial intelligence, Apple tried to regain its footing Monday during an annual developers conference that focused mostly on incremental advances and cosmetic changes in its technology. The pre-summer rite, which attracted thousands of developers from nearly 60 countries to Apple's Silicon Valley headquarters, was more subdued than the feverish anticipation that surrounded the event during the previous two years.


New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Mahakumbh stampede: Allahabad HC slams UP government over delayed compensation; seeks full report
LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court has strongly criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for not extending compensation to the families of those who died in the Mahakumbh stampede on January 29, 2025. While hearing a petition on Saturday, the vacation bench of Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Sandeep Jain said the government's attitude was 'unstable' and 'indifferent to the suffering of citizens.' The judges were responding to a petition filed by Uday Pratap Singh. The court asked the state government to submit full details of the deaths, injured patients, and medical staff involved in the treatment of stampede victims. It also ordered the government to explain what steps were taken to compensate the victim families. The court reminded the state government that it worked as a trustee of the people and must show sensitivity in such cases. It said the government should be more responsible and transparent in helping the victims and their families. It may be recalled that the stampede had taken place just around midnight on January 29, ahead of the Amrit Snan of Mauni Amavasya. The state government admitted that 30 people died and had announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the dependents of the deceased. However, the compensation has still not been given to the affected families.