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The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL seeking specific guidelines to ensure the safety of devotees at the Maha Kumbh, following a tragic stampede in Prayagraj’s Sangam area that left at least 30 dead and 60 injured.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar noted the Uttar Pradesh government’s submission that a similar plea had already been filed in the Allahabad High Court.
The court, therefore, directed petitioner advocate Vishal Tiwari to approach the High Court instead.
“This is an unfortunate incident. But, you go to the Allahabad High Court,” the bench remarked.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the court that a judicial inquiry had already been initiated to investigate the incident.
The PIL, filed on January 30—just a day after the stampede—invoked Article 32 of the Constitution, seeking preventive measures against such tragedies and the enforcement of fundamental rights under Article 21.
The stampede occurred during Mauni Amavasya, a highly auspicious occasion in the Hindu calendar, when lakhs of devotees gathered at the sacred confluence.
With the Supreme Court redirecting the matter to the Allahabad High Court, further legal proceedings are expected to take place at the state level.
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