Hathras Stampede Incident | PIL In Allahabad High Court Seeks CBI Inquiry, Compensation For Victims
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea has been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the Hathras stampede incident.
The tragic event, organised by a self-styled godman, Bhole Baba, aka Narayan Saakar Hari, at Fulrai village under the Sikandrarau police station area of Hathras district, claimed over 120 lives, leaving over 25 people injured.
The PIL plea, moved by Advocate Gaurav Dwivedi, claims that the district authorities were “totally responsible” for its “negligent” act due to which the stampede occurred and that this type of inappropriate law and order situation in the state would lead to people losing faith in the government.
The PIL plea further states that the district authorities have mechanisms in place to prevent and control any unwarranted situations, and the state government is investing substantial public funds in new techniques for better administration. Despite this, the incident occurred.
“The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh regularly reviews law and order through video conferencing. Despite these efforts, the Hathras administration and its responsible officers, who are duty-bound to maintain law and order and ensure the safety of the district's residents, have failed. It is hard to believe that their Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) was unaware of the situation, suggesting that they may have overlooked the law and order issues in District Hathras,” the PIL plea submits.Top of Form
Further, the petitioner has submitted that he is very concerned about the safety of devotees who would be attending Mahakumbh, the world's largest religious gathering, which is scheduled to take place in Prayagraj in 2025.
Against this backdrop, the Petitioner has urged the High Court to accept his PIL plea through this Letter Petition and take suo motu cognizance of the incident.
In his PIL plea, the petitioner seeks a CBI inquiry into the present and the suspension of the responsible officers for their negligent acts.
Alternatively, the PIL plea seeks independent judicial inquiring into the present matter. The petitioner has also sought compensation for the victims.