Allahabad HC Directs Kumbh Mela Authorities To Decide On Compensation For Victim Of January Stampede

The Allahabad High Court has directed the Kumbh Mela authorities in Prayagraj to decide on the payment of compensation for a devotee who lost their life in a stampede during the Maundi Amavasya festival in January this year.

The court instructed the parties to present a copy of the order during the next hearing on November 13.

A division bench comprising Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Swaroopma Chaturvedi passed the order on the petition filed by Ramkali Bai.

Advocates Arun Yadav and the state government’s Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal, along with Additional Chief Standing Counsel AK Goyal, represented their respective sides during the proceedings.

The petitioner, a resident of Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh, lost her husband, Mohanlal Ahirwar, in the stampede at the Kumbh Mela on Maundi Amavasya.

While the government had announced compensation for the family of the deceased, the petitioner has yet to receive the payment.

The court was informed that following judicial intervention, the petitioner obtained her husband’s death certificate. She now possesses the post-mortem report, but has still not received the compensation.

Court Orders Compliance

During the hearing, Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal said that the Kumbh Mela authorities had issued the petitioner a notice on September 22 and asked her to appear on October 13 with all supporting documents for her claim, which they are still considering.

The petitioner contended that she was unaware of the notice until the day before the hearing. The court directed AK Goyal to provide a copy of the notice to her lawyer, Arun Yadav, during the proceedings.

The court further instructed that the petitioner should appear before the Kumbh Mela authorities on October 30 with all available documentation concerning her husband’s accidental death during Maundi Amavasya 2025.

The mela authorities must decide her pending application according to the law and issue a reasoned and well-founded order upon her appearance.

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