Allahabad High Court Issues Guidelines on Compensation Claims for Kumbh Mela 2025 Tragedy

Court Directives on Compensation Claims

The Allahabad High Court has issued directives regarding compensation claims related to the stampede at the Kumbh Mela 2025. The court clarified that the authority to decide on claims filed by victims or their dependents lies with the district administration and the mela authority, not the judicial inquiry commission. The mela officer is required to make a decision on these claims within 30 days.

This ruling was made by Justices Ajit Kumar and Satya Veer Singh during the hearing of a petition filed by Sanjay Kumar Sharma.

The petition sought compensation following the death of a relative during the stampede on January 29, 2025, coinciding with Mauni Amavasya. Upon reviewing the affidavit submitted by the secretary of the judicial inquiry commission, the court stated that handling compensation claims does not fall under the commission's jurisdiction. The commission's role is limited to investigating the causes of the incident, providing future recommendations, and reviewing administrative coordination.

Court's Instructions for Streamlining Compensation Process

The court noted that the state government neither denied the occurrence of the stampede nor the fact that some victims' families had already received compensation. The court emphasized that since the state has acknowledged the incident and the damages, it is unnecessary for the commission to investigate whether the stampede occurred. To simplify and clarify the compensation process, the court established several guidelines.

To facilitate the process, the bench outlined the following rules for the mela and district administration when deciding on compensation claims:

1. All compensation claims must be submitted to the district administration, not the state judicial commission.


2. When adjudicating claims, the district magistrate/mela officer must verify facts regarding any deaths or property damage that occurred during the stampede on January 29, 2025.


3. Each case must involve an examination of the materials presented to the mela officer to confirm that the death occurred on that specific day, Mauni Amavasya.


4. Documents such as police investigation reports and post-mortem reports prepared by the chief medical officer will be considered undisputed material unless valid contrary evidence is presented to challenge the cause of death.


5. The mela officer is required to make a final decision on the compensation claim within 30 days of its submission.


6. Regarding the judicial commission's investigation, it will only pertain to specific points and will not address separate claims in different cases. Statements given by the deceased's dependents will only relate to the terms of reference and not to the adjudication of individual compensation claims.


7. In the current case, the bench noted that an inquest report prepared by a sub-inspector and the medical officer's post-mortem report had not been disputed by any solid evidence. Therefore, the bench instructed the mela officer to make a decision within three weeks and file a compliance affidavit by the next hearing date.