The court criticized poor event arrangements and stressed the administration’s duty to ensure safety, citing the upcoming Maha Kumbh as needing preventative measures.

NEW DELHI: The Allahabad high court has directed the then district magistrate and senior superintendent of police of Hathras to personally appear before the court on January 15 and explain why they should not be held liable for the stampede in 2024 that claimed 121 lives.
Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, while hearing the bail plea of one Manju Devi, noted that such tragic incidents are the result of poor arrangements made by event organisers.
“The organisers invite innocent people for their benefit, and due to lack of proper arrangements—such as police force, medical facilities, and crowd management—such incidents occur,” the judge remarked. He emphasized that it is the responsibility of the administration to ensure that all necessary precautions are in place.
Justice Yadav further stated, “In the past, we have seen numerous instances where large gatherings, often made up of poor and illiterate people driven by faith, lead to stampedes. People lose their temper, causing untimely deaths.”
Government counsel Rupak Chaubey highlighted that the organisers had sought permission for a crowd of 80,000, but an estimated 2.5 lakh people attended the event in Fulrai Mughalgarhi Village of Hathras district on July 2, 2024.
During the “satsang” organized by the followers of Surajpal alias Bhole Baba, a stampede broke out, leaving 121 dead and several injured. An FIR was registered based on the complaint of sub-inspector Brijesh Pandey, and during the investigation, the petitioner’s name emerged.
The court expressed the need for the district and police administration to learn from this tragic incident and make proper arrangements for the upcoming Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj to prevent similar mishaps in the future.
The next hearing is scheduled for January 15.