Clearing the Path for Stampede Victims: Allahabad HC Sidelines Judicial Commission on Compensation Claims

In a decisive ruling, the Allahabad High Court has ruled that ex-gratia compensation claims arising from the tragic January 29, 2025, stampede at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj must be handled by the district administration and Mela Authority—not the state-appointed Judicial Inquiry Commission. A bench of Hon'ble Justice Ajit Kumar and Hon'ble Justice Satya Veer Singh delivered this clarity in WRIC No. 38751 of 2025 , Sanjay Kumar Sharma vs State of UP and 3 Others , directing the Meladhikari to resolve the petitioner's claim within three weeks

Anatomy of a Festival Tragedy

The chaos unfolded on Mauni Amavasya during the Mahakumbh Mela, when a stampede claimed lives, including that of Shiva Devi, whose relative Sanjay Kumar Sharma filed the writ petition seeking compensation. The state government had announced ex-gratia payments, but Sharma's representation hit a roadblock, forwarded to the three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission formed on January 29, 2025. The Commission, tasked with probing the incident's causes, future prevention, and general loss assessment, returned the file, deeming individual claims outside its scope—a position affirmed by affidavits from Meladhikari Vijay Kiran Anand and Commission Secretary Dr. Sher Bahadur Singh.

This writ petition arose after months of delays, with the court scrutinizing compliance affidavits amid public notices and witness statements recorded on December 11, 2025, including those from relatives like Smt. Dharmshila and Ramakant Yadav.

Petitioner's Push vs. Authorities' Deference

Sharma, represented by Advocates Ankit Kumar Pal and Praveen Kumar Singh, urged the court to expedite compensation, highlighting undisputed documents like the inquest report by Sub-Inspector, P.S. Shivkuti, and postmortem by Dr. Anil Kumar dated January 31, 2025. The plea emphasized the state's announcement of ex-gratia aid and the Commission's handling of related evidence.

Opposing counsel—Senior Advocate Anoop Trivedi with Abhinav Gaur for the Kumbh Mela Authority, and Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal with Standing Counsel Anubhav Chandra for the state and Commission—argued for awaiting the Commission's broader findings to avoid contradictions. They noted the Commission's letters (September 7 and 16, 2025) directing the Meladhikari to decide independently, stressing that individual deaths weren't within the enquiry's terms despite recording general witness statements pursuant to public notices.

Dissecting the Commission's Mandate: Court Cuts Through the Fog

The bench meticulously parsed the Commission's terms of reference, translating Hindi points into English: (i) causes/circumstances of the incident; (ii) suggestions to prevent recurrence; (iii) inquiry into loss of life/property on January 29; and (iv) coordination among administrations (subservient to others).

Crucially, during hearings, state counsel could not deny the stampede's occurrence or prior compensation payments to some victims—implicit admissions rendering point (iii) "absolutely useless" for individual claims. The court clarified: "When the State itself admits that such incident had taken place, then the Commission was not to any further enquire as to whether such a stampede happened or not."

No precedents were cited, but the ruling establishes fresh administrative guidelines, prioritizing police inquest and postmortem reports as prima facie evidence unless rebutted.

Court's Razor-Sharp Directives

Key Observations from the judgment underscore the pivot:

"Every claim of compensation has to be made before the District Administration and not before the State Judicial Commission."

"The Meladhikari has to take a final decision in the matter of claim of compensation within a period of 30 days of its presentation."

"The records produced, the documents like inquest report by the police officers and the postmortem report... have to be taken as undisputed material document unless disputed with valid contrary evidence."

"Insofar as the enquiry by the Judicial Commission is concerned, that would only be relating to point (i) and (ii), and in general for Clause (iii), not in matters of individual cases."

For Sharma's case, with unchallenged documents, the Meladhikari must decide within three weeks, with compliance by May 7, 2026. A copy went to the Commission Secretary.

Ripple Effects for Future Claims

This order streamlines redress for stampede victims, bypassing the Commission for efficient district-level processing. It prevents dual-track delays, ensures timely aid (30-day cap), and confines enquiries to systemic failures—potentially accelerating payments while the Commission focuses on prevention. As news summaries note, the state's non-denial paves the way, offering hope amid the festival's shadows.