The Allahabad High Court has directed the Kumbh Mela Authority and the State-appointed Inquiry Commission to finalise and disburse compensation to the husband of a stampede victim within 30 days, refusing to allow further delay on the ground of a pending inquiry. The Court made it clear that administrative extensions cannot come at the cost of relief to victims’ families, signalling immediate accountability.
The case arose from the death of a woman who sustained fatal injuries during the Kumbh Mela stampede at the Sangam bathing area in the early hours of January 29, 2025, an incident that claimed several lives. Despite the State’s announcement of ex gratia compensation, the petitioner alleged prolonged inaction by authorities. The State argued that the Commission of Inquiry was still examining claims, with timelines extended in public interest as statements of victims’ families were being recorded at different stages. The petitioner countered that the inquiry process could not indefinitely stall compensation for a death that had already been acknowledged.
A Bench of Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Swarupama Chaturvedi rejected the State’s plea for more time, observing that the issue of compensation could no longer be kept in abeyance. The Court noted that while a detailed order had earlier sought personal affidavits from officials, it was now imperative to bring closure to the petitioner’s claim, observing, “At this stage, we find it necessary to get the issue of claim of compensation of the petitioner finalized at the earliest.”
Accordingly, the Bench directed both the Inquiry Commission and the Mela Authority to conclude the compensation process within 30 days, cautioning that failure to comply would invite a “serious view” of the matter. The State has been asked to place its compliance decision on record by the next hearing.
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