A vacation bench of the Allahabad High Court has strongly criticized the Uttar Pradesh government over its failure to disburse ex-gratia compensation to the family of a woman who died in a stampede during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on January 29, 2025. The court said it was the State’s “bounden duty” to ensure timely and dignified payment once such compensation had been announced.
The bench of Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Sandeep Jain was hearing a writ petition filed by Uday Pratap Singh, whose wife was among the victims of the tragedy. The court was dismayed that four months had passed since the incident, yet no compensation had been paid to the petitioner’s family.
No Post-Mortem Conducted at State Hospital
In a particularly alarming observation, the court noted that the deceased woman’s body was handed over to her son from the mortuary of Motilal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj, on February 5, 2025, without any autopsy or post-mortem examination. The family later had to complete those formalities in their home district of Kaimur, Bihar.
“It is alarming that the state authorities appear to have handed over the dead body of the wife of the petitioner to his son… Four months have passed and no part of the ex-gratia compensation announced by the state has been offered,” the court stated.
State’s Explanation Rejected as “Apathy”
During the hearing, the Chief Standing Counsel submitted that no claim had been raised by the petitioner, and hence the stage for consideration had not arrived. Rejecting this argument, the court remarked:
“Prima facie, we find the stand taken to be untenable and smacking of apathy to the plight of the citizen. It was the bounden duty of the State to pay up the compensation to the aggrieved families with utmost grace and dignity.”
The bench further observed:
“Once the identity of the family of the deceased was known to the State, it appears to be a pretence and an excuse on part of the State to ask the aggrieved family who had come from far-off places to beg for money… certainly not on account of any fault committed by the deceased.”
State’s Responsibility as Trustee
Reinforcing the State’s constitutional role, the High Court asserted:
“The State remains the trustee of its citizens. It is not only obligated to protect their lives and keep them safe from avoidable losses, it remains obligated and duty-bound to offer remedies and care where such unintended loss may be suffered.”
It added that the management of the Kumbh Mela was solely under the State’s control and no other authority was responsible.
Directions to Authorities
The bench directed state authorities to submit a detailed affidavit disclosing:
- The total number of ex-gratia claims received,
- The number of claims decided and pending,
- Dates of receipt and disposal of claims,
- Minimal details of the claimants.
Further, the court ordered the impleadment of several medical institutions and authorities in Prayagraj as parties to the case. These institutions are to file affidavits disclosing all deaths and medical handling of victims between January 28 and the end of the Maha Kumbh.
The court has listed the matter for further hearing on July 18, 2025.
