'Is there any proof that 200 have died?' SC declines plea on stampede at Delhi railway station

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea seeking directions for authorities on crowd management following a recent stampede at the New Delhi railway station, which reportedly led to over 200 deaths.

"Is there any proof that 200 have died?" a bench of Justices B R Gavai and P K Mishra asked the counsel representing the petitioner.

The counsel cited several videos of the incident posted on X and mentioned that the Railways had issued notices to witnesses present at the scene. In response, the bench remarked, "Those persons can approach the court."

The bench further inquired whether the petitioner believed that the relevant authorities were neglecting the issue, to which the counsel responded that the petition had been filed to ensure proper implementation of the National Disaster Management Act and associated rules for crowd management.

Ultimately, the bench dismissed the plea, suggesting the petitioner could approach the Delhi High Court with their grievance.

The counsel also noted that the petition had named all states and Union Territories as party respondents.

On February 19, the Delhi High Court had instructed the Railways to review the limitations on the number of passengers and the sale of platform tickets—key concerns raised in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) following the stampede. The High Court requested that the authorities provide an affidavit detailing the decisions made regarding these issues.

At least 18 people lost their lives in the stampede on February 15 at New Delhi Railway Station, which had experienced a surge of passengers waiting to board trains heading to Prayagraj for the ongoing Maha Kumbh.