Maha Kumbh stampede: SC to take up PIL seeking safety measures for pilgrims on Monday
The Supreme Court will on Monday take up a PIL seeking directions for measures to ensure safety and security of people attending the world’s largest religious gathering – Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj where 30 pilgrims died and over 60 got injured in a stampede on January 29.
The PIL filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari is listed before a Bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar on February 3.
A day after the stampede at Maha Kumbh, Tiwari had filed a petition accusing the Uttar Pradesh Government of “lapses, negligence and utter failure of administration” and sought action against UP Government officials for their alleged negligence and lapses that led to the stampede.
“Direct the State of Uttar Pradesh to submit a status report on the Maha Kumbh 2025 stampede incident that took place on January 29, 2025, and also direct to initiate legal action against the persons, authorities and officials for their negligent conduct,” Tiwari submitted.
The petition was mentioned on Friday for an early hearing before a Bench led by CJI Khanna, which had asked the petitioner to follow the procedure and approached the top court’s Registry.
Tiwari has also sought directions to state governments to prevent stampedes at crowded places like Mahakumbh and ensure safety and security of people attending religious festivals.
“All states governments with coordination of the Uttar Pradesh Government shall also deploy its small Medical team at Prayagraj Maha Kumbh comprising Doctors and Nurses so that at the time of medical emergency there may not be shortage of Medical staff,” Tiwari demanded.
He wanted the top court to issue directions to ensure that VIP movements did not affect or create danger to the common devotees’ safety and maximum space for entry and exit of devotees at Maha Kumbh was provided to pilgrims.
The PIL sought directions to all states to ask their facilitation centres at Prayagraj to provide basic information regarding the safety measures and guidelines to the pilgrims.
There should be proper arrangements for announcements, display boards showing direction, roads, etc., in multiple languages so that people from other states don’t face problems, the PIL submitted.