Hathras Stampede: PIL before Supreme Court seeks court-monitored probe

A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the Hathras stampede last evening, which has so far led to the death of around 121 people. .The petition has been filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari who has highlighted that it is the common public who suffer the worst at such events, as separate arrangements are made for dignitaries or VIPs."There are several questions which are brewing up from this horrific incident of Stampede thereby questioning the duty and lapse of State Government and Municipal Corporations. Apart from the failure of maintaining and administering the supervision, the authorities have also failed in controlling the crowd gathered for the event," Tiwari's plea stated. The Hathras stampede is reported to have taken place at a satsang organised to meet a self-styled godman, Narayan Saakar Hari alias ‘Bhole Baba,' who was earlier known as Suraj Pal.As per reports, the event drew in a crowd of over two lakh devotees, although permission was only granted to have around 80,000 attendees.A criminal case has been registered in the matter by the Uttar Pradesh police against the organisers of the event. Bhole Baba, who is reportedly not named in the first information report (FIR) is absconding.Tiwari, in his plea, has recounted that several such stampede-like events have occurred in the past including the Kumbh Mela Stampede in 1954 where around 800 persons were reported dead, the Mecca Masjid Stampede of 2007 where 16 were reported dead, the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine deaths in 2022, the deaths during Dussehra celebrations at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna in 2014 and the death of around 104 Sabarimala devotees at Pulmedu in Idukki. .In view of the latest such incident in Hathras, Tiwari has urged the Supreme Court to issue the following directions:Appoint a five-member expert committee under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge to inquire into the Hathras Stampede; Direct this committee to suggest guidelines to avoid such incidents at public gatherings; The State of Uttar Pradesh should submit a status report and initiate legal action against those who acted negligently; States should issue guidelines to prevent stampedes for the safety of the public attending such religious or other events in large numbers; States should submit report on medical facilities available at various levels to deal with such stampede or other incidents..A similar petition has also been filed before the Allahabad High Court by a lawyer seeking a CBI probe into the Hathras stampede.