The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities during the Maha Kumbh festival held in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The PIL was filed by petitioners Keshar Singh, Yogendra Kumar Pandey, and Kamlesh Singh, but the Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra, deemed the plea baseless.
The petitioners had requested financial assistance for the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede that occurred on January 29, 2025, during Mauni Amavasya in the Mela Area. Additionally, they sought directives for government officials to submit a detailed report on the alleged mismanagement of the 45-day religious event and implement necessary corrective actions.
Representing the petitioners, Advocate Vijay Chandra Srivastava raised concerns about the administrative mismanagement of the Maha Kumbh, including inadequate crowd control and water contamination in the Ganga River. The petition implicated several officials and entities, including DIG Mahakumbh Mela Vaibhav Krishna, Controller of Digital Kumbh Electronics IPS Ajay Pal Sharma, religious leaders Swami Ram Bhadracharya and Peethadhishwar Dhirendra Shastri, UP Vidyut Limited, and multiple administrative officers from Prayagraj district.
On February 24, the Uttar Pradesh government informed the High Court that it had expanded the scope of the Judicial Commission investigating the January 29 stampede. The government’s counsel stated that the Commission would now examine the coordination efforts between the Mela administration, district authorities, and health services in handling the aftermath of the incident.
Previously, on February 19, the High Court had suggested that the government broaden the Commission’s scope to include inquiries into missing persons post-stampede. Following this suggestion, the Uttar Pradesh government issued a notification on February 22 under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, officially extending the Commission’s mandate.
The expanded investigation aims to determine the causes and circumstances of the stampede, assess administrative coordination, and propose measures to prevent similar tragedies in future events. The government also extended the tenure of the three-member Judicial Commission, led by retired High Court judge Justice Harsh Kumar, by an additional month from March 1, 2025.
Given these developments, the High Court disposed of the PIL filed by Advocate Suresh Chandra Pandey, former Honorary Secretary of the High Court Bar Association, Allahabad, while granting him the liberty to approach the Court again if necessary. A separate PIL by Advocate Saurabh Pandey had called for a Judicial Monitoring Committee to track missing persons from the incident, highlighting discrepancies in the official casualty count of 30 deaths as reported by various media outlets.
The January 29 stampede, which occurred near the Sangam holy dip point, reportedly resulted in over 30 fatalities. A prior PIL filed by Advocate Vishal Tiwari in the Supreme Court had sought action against Uttar Pradesh officials for the recurring nature of stampedes at large religious gatherings. However, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, had dismissed the plea, advising the petitioner to seek redress at the High Court level.
