The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a plea seeking the appointment of a five-member expert committee under the supervision of a retired top court judge to investigate the Hathras stampede incident, which resulted in the deaths of over 100 people on July 2.
On a mentioning for an early listing by PIL petitioner lawyer Vishal Tiwari, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, heading a bench comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, said, “I have already given my listing orders. It will be listed.”
The PIL petitioner advocate Tiwari has sought the framing of guidelines and safety measures to prevent such incidents at large public gatherings.
The PIL petitioner also sought a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to file a report on the Hathras stampede before the top court and to initiate action against the persons and authorities responsible 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 also sought directions for all the state governments to issue guidelines and directives aimed at preventing stampedes or similar incidents during large religious gatherings.
The incidents cited in the PIL included the Kumbh Mela stampede in 1954, where around 800 persons lost their lives; the Mecca Masjid stampede of 2007, where 16 deaths were reported; the deaths at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in 2022; the deaths during the Dussehra celebrations at Gandhi Maidan in Patna in 2014; and the death of around 104 Sabarimala devotees at Pulmedu in Idukki.
“Such incidents prima facie depict the serious lapses in responsibilities, negligence, and unfaithful duty of care towards the public by government authorities. Over the past decade, various incidents across our country have resulted in significant public casualties due to mismanagement, lapse in duty, and negligence in maintenance activities, which could have been prevented,” the plea stated.
According to reports, the Hathras event drew a gathering of over two lakh devotees, whereas permission was granted for the assembly of only around 80,000 people.