Allahabad High Court Orders Swift Compensation for Kumbh Stampede Victim’s Family, Rejects Further Delay Over Inquiry Report
The Allahabad High Court has firmly refused to allow any further postponement in granting compensation to the family of a victim who lost her life in the tragic Kumbh Mela stampede, directing authorities to finalise the claim within 30 days.
Hearing a writ petition filed by Uday Pratap Singh, the husband of the deceased woman who succumbed to injuries suffered during the stampede, a division bench comprising Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Swarupama Chaturvedi instructed both the Mela Authority and the state-appointed Commission of Inquiry to expedite the compensation process without waiting for the final inquiry report.
The court also issued a clear warning that failure to comply with its direction would invite strict action.
The stampede had occurred in the early hours of January 29, 2025, near the Sangam bathing area — one of the most crowded and sacred spots during the Kumbh Mela.
Reports had estimated that between 30 and 39 pilgrims lost their lives in the tragic incident.
Earlier, during hearings held on June 6, 2025, a vacation bench of the High Court had sharply criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for its inordinate delay in disbursing ex gratia compensation to victims’ families.
The court had described the state’s approach as “untenable” and reflective of “apathy towards the suffering of citizens.”
The bench had also observed that once compensation had been officially announced, it became the government’s moral and legal obligation to ensure that payments were made promptly and with dignity.
During the latest hearing on January 9, 2026, the state government informed the court that the Commission of Inquiry had recorded the petitioner’s statement on December 17, 2025.
It further explained that the inquiry’s timeline had been extended in the larger public interest, as several families and dependents of victims were approaching the commission late, requiring their statements to be taken.
The government maintained that the issue of deaths in the stampede was being examined in coordination with the Kumbh Mela Authority.
However, the High Court made it clear that the ongoing inquiry could not be used as a justification to withhold compensation indefinitely.
In its order, the bench noted:
“Although this Court had earlier directed the authorities to file personal affidavits explaining the delay, we now find it necessary to ensure that the petitioner’s compensation claim is finalised at the earliest.”
Accordingly, the court directed both the Commission of Inquiry and the Mela Authority to conclude the petitioner’s compensation process within the next 30 days.
The bench also instructed Additional Advocate General Anoop Trivedi, who represents both the state government and the Mela Authority, to submit a detailed compliance affidavit outlining the decision taken by the authorities by the next hearing.
The court made it abundantly clear that failure to submit the compliance report would compel it to take a “serious view” of the matter.
In its earlier observations, the High Court had also expressed grave concern over the handling of the deceased woman’s body.
It noted that she had suffered severe crush injuries to her rib cage and was released from the Motilal Nehru Medical College mortuary without a proper inquest or post-mortem examination — a lapse the court had described as deeply troubling.
The matter has now been listed for further hearing on February 18, 2026, when the court will review the compliance affidavit.
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