Describing the Hathras stampede as “disturbing”, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the PIL petitioner who had sought a probe monitored by a retired judge of the top court to approach the Allahabad High Court.
Refusing to entertain the PIL by advocate Vishal Tiwari, Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud heading a bench also comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra asked the4 petitioner to approach the High court with his plea.
A total of 121 people lost their lives during a stampede at a religious gathering in Hathras. An inquiry into the incident has laid the blame at the doorsteps of the organisers of the events.
The PIL petitioner advocate Tiwari had sought framing of guidelines and safety measures to avoid the repeat of such incidents at large public gatherings.
The PIL petitioner had also sought direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to initiate action against the persons, and authorities for their negligent conduct.
Enlarging the scope of the petition to cover such incidents that had happened in the past across the country, the PIL petitioner advocate had sought direction to all the State governments to issue directions and guidelines to prevent stampede or other such incidents at mass religious gatherings.
The incidents cited in the PIL included Kumbh Mela stampede in 1954 where around 800 persons lost their lives, the Mecca Masjid stampede of 2007 where 16 were reported dead, the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine deaths in 2022, the deaths during Dussehra celebrations at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna in 2014 and the death of around 104 Sabarimala devotees at Pulmedu in Idukki.
“Such incident prima facie depicts the serious condition of responsibility lapse, negligence and unfaithful duty of care towards the public by the government authorities. From the past decade various incidents have taken place in our country wherein due to the mismanagement, lapse in duty, negligent maintenance activities, there have been cases of huge public casualties which could have been avoided yet due to such arbitrary and undone actions have led to such work,” plea had stated.
The Hathras event saw a gathering of over two lakh devotees, whereas the permission was only for the assembly of around 80,000 people.