IMPORTANT POINT
Plight of yatris to Amarnathji.

Judgment :-

Swatanter Kumar, J.

1. Taking notice of the persistent press reports dealing with the poor arrangements and number of deaths that occurred during the yatra in the year 2012 to the holy cave of Amarnathji, the Court took suo motu action and issued notice to the Union of India, State of Jammu and Kashmir and the Chairman/President of the Amarnathji Shrine Board vide its order dated 13th July, 2012. It will be appropriate to reproduce the said order at this stage itself:-

“Today’s ‘The Times of India’ and ‘Hindustan Times’ reports 67 deaths of pilgrims mostly because of the cardiac arrests as well for other reasons. As per these reports, this has happened in 17 days. Last year 105 persons died during the 45 days’ yatra. Thus, this year it appears to be on the rise. In our considered view, the pilgrims have a constitutional right under Articles 21 and 19(1)(d) to move freely throughout the territory of India, free of fear, with dignity and safety and to ensure enforcement of such right is the primary obligation of the State and the Central Governments.

Where it is a matter of common knowledge that the yatra to the ‘Holy Cave of Amarnath’ is an occasion of privilege and pride for a devotee, there it is also a matter of great concern for the Government of India, the Government of the State of Jammu & Kashmir and the Amarnath Shrine Board. Some of the events that have been widely reported in the newspapers compel us to take a judicial notice of the lack of necessary facilities, essential amenities and the risk to the lives of the yatris, en route and around the “Holy Cave of Amarnath”.

On 3rdJuly, 2012, it was reported in the Hindustan Times, Delhi Edition, that two more pilgrims died of cardiac arrest on Sunday, taking the toll to 22. Both the pilgrims were stated to be in their mid-thirties. One pilgrim was on her way to the holy shrine while the other was returning to Pahalgam Base Camp (Names : Ms. Anita Chourasia and Sadhu Ram). The same daily on 2nd of July, 2012 had reported that there were deaths of five more devotees as a result of cardiac arrest at the Pahalgam and Baltal Base Camps. These were the deaths reported to have occurred between 25thJune, 2012 to 2ndJuly, 2012 on the twin tracks of Baltal in Ganderbal and Pahalgam in Amarnath. This daily also reported that nearly 1.20 lakh pilgrims had so far paid obeisance to the shivalingam at the holy cave. This newspaper also showed the path and the weather conditions to which the yatris to the Holy Cave were exposed and the amenities that were available at the glacier.

The Times of India, New Delhi Edition on 29thJune, 2012 had reported that there was an unidentified body of 55-year old pilgrim which was recovered along the Pehalgam cave route in Anantnag district.

Similarly, on 28th June, 2012, the Hindustan Times, while referring that the Management had directed increase of security at the yatri base camps to maintain proper schedule, had reported that the death toll within the first three days of the commencement of the yatra was six. The same newspaper dated 27thJune, 2012 had shown a photograph of the passage that more than 18000 pilgrims had visited the holy cave, which is at the height of 3,880 metres, in three days. It showed one of the passages leading to the holy cave. From this picture itself, it is clear and even otherwise it is a matter of common knowledge that the path leading to the holy cave is not only very small but is even unprotected. The photographs also show that hardly any amenities are available for the yatris in and around the holy cave, though thousands of people who throng the holy cave have to wait for hours and days for having the darshan. It has also been published in other papers that in the initial days of the yatra, one person had died because of the fall from the height as there was no support or protection on the path leading to the holy cave. The path somewhere is stated to be even less than six feet and does not have any grill or prot