Judicial Commission Investigates Maha Kumbh Stampede in Prayagraj, New Allegations Emerge
BK Singh
The three-member judicial commission, formed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to investigate the tragic stampede during the Maha Kumbh on January 29, arrived in Prayagraj on Friday morning.
After a brief stop at the circuit house, the commission, led by Justice (Retd.) Harsh Kumar, along with former DG VK Gupta and former IAS officer DK Singh, proceeded directly to Sangam Point, the site of the incident.
At pole no. 157, the team questioned officials about the circumstances surrounding the stampede, which claimed several lives and injured many others. They were informed about the chaos that unfolded as devotees reportedly crossed the barricades. The officials provided detailed accounts, which the commission meticulously recorded.
The commission then inspected the ghat at the Sangam nose, evaluating its capacity to hold devotees during peak hours. They also examined the surrounding area, including poles and CCTV cameras, to understand the layout and arrangements in place at the time.
Accompanied by senior officials, including Divisional Commissioner Vijai Vishwas Pant, DIG Vaibhav Krishna, DM Vijay Kiran Anand, and SSP Rajesh Dwivedi, the judicial team visited the Sangam upper road and other key areas. The officials were instructed to hand over CCTV footage of the incident and the reports prepared by their teams for further examination.
The commission’s arrival around 1 PM drew a large crowd of onlookers eager to know the findings. However, security forces maintained a strict perimeter, preventing the public from approaching the team, though many observed the proceedings from a distance.
The tragic incident, which left the city in mourning, has become the center of public discourse in Prayagraj. Residents are still grappling with shock and disbelief, questioning how such a tragedy could occur despite official claims of “foolproof arrangements” and extensive monitoring of the sprawling Maha Kumbh area.
Adding to the controversy, a viral video featuring Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand has raised further questions. In the video, the Shankaracharya alleged that besides the stampede at the Sangam nose, another stampede occurred in Jhusi, across the Ganga.
According to Shankaracharya, a devotee filmed and shared the video with him, claiming several people lost their lives in the Jhusi stampede. The Shankaracharya also cited an unnamed senior police officer who allegedly informed Sadhus in his camp about six separate stampedes during the Maha Kumbh, with only the Sangam nose incident receiving public attention.
While Shankaracharya refrained from specifying the number of casualties in these alleged incidents, his statements have added to the growing clamor for accountability. So far, these additional stampede claims remain unverified.
The responsibility now lies with the judicial commission and the government to uncover the full truth behind the tragedy, as residents demand clarity and justice for the lives lost and impacted during the Maha Kumbh.
