4 months ago
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The Delhi High Court connected Wednesday pulled up Indian Railways for not submitting an affidavit successful a substance related to the February 2025 stampede astatine the New Delhi railway station, which claimed the lives of 18 people.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia questioned wherefore the authorities were “so lax” and if they were waiting for different incidental to happen, arsenic the affidavit was “not successful sight” adjacent though it had to beryllium filed by March 26, 2025.
“Do not instrumentality the tribunal for granted. We required you to record an affidavit. What did you do? Just to sail done the unit astatine that infinitesimal erstwhile this petition was filed, a connection by the highest instrumentality serviceman of the state was made connected behalf of the Railways. It has been a year, and you inactive person not been capable to record that affidavit. What does this indicate? We bash not admit this,” the Bench remarked.
The counsel for the railway authorities, however, sought much clip from the Bench to record the affidavit. The counsel said that broad steps, specified arsenic the instauration of holding areas, person been taken.
“We are waiting for the palmy implementation of [its measures during] the Magh Mela. My affidavit is ready...,” the counsel said.
The tribunal granted the Railways 4 weeks to record details connected overcrowding and assemblage power and listed the substance for further proceeding connected February 25.
'Gross mismanagement'
The tribunal was proceeding a nationalist involvement litigation (PIL) substance filed by the societal organisation ‘Arth Vidhi’. The plea has claimed that the tragic incidental connected the nighttime of February 15, 2025, has revealed “gross mismanagement” and the administration's failure.
Following a proposition by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the tribunal had connected February 19, 2025, asked the Railways to analyse respective issues, including the fixing of a maximum fig of passengers, overcrowding and the merchantability of level tickets astatine stations and record an affidavit indicating its decision.
