New Delhi, February 28: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea concerning the tragic stampede that occurred at the New Delhi Railway Station on February 15. The petitioners, Anand Legal Aid Forum Trust, had claimed that the railway administration was concealing the true number of deaths, asserting that around 200 people had died in the incident, while the official toll reported was 18.
The petitioners also alleged that many families of the victims had not received the promised compensation (ex gratia payments) and called for a CBI investigation into the matter. They cited eyewitnesses who reportedly claimed the death toll was far higher than reported.
In response, the bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and Prashant Kumar Mishra questioned the petitioners on the basis of their claims, asking if they were suggesting that the State government had completely ignored the issue and requesting evidence to support the claim of 200 deaths. The Court also asked the petitioners if they had encountered instances where the families of deceased victims had complained about not receiving compensation.
After hearing the petitioners’ counsel briefly, the Court dismissed the plea, remarking, “Let the persons who are affected approach the court.”
The stampede, which occurred at 10 p.m. on February 15, took place as thousands of devotees were traveling to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, leading to significant overcrowding at the station. The incident resulted in the loss of 18 lives.
Indian Railways had announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. Additionally, Railway authorities set up a high-level committee to investigate the incident. The Ministry of Railways is also working on creating permanent holding areas at around 60 stations prone to crowd congestion to prevent future incidents and improve crowd management.