NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed the Railways to assess the regulation of maximum passenger limits and platform ticket sales, issues raised in a PIL following the recent stampede at New Delhi Railway Station.
A bench comprising chief justice D K Upadhyaya and justice Tushar Rao Gedela instructed the authorities to include in their affidavit details of the measures taken regarding these concerns.
“Let the issues raised in the petition be examined, as suggested by the solicitor general, at the highest level at the Railway Board and thereafter an affidavit be filed by the respondent giving details of the decisions which might be taken by the Railway Board,” the court ordered.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta stated that the matter was not being approached in an adversarial manner and affirmed that the Railways would comply with legal provisions.
He described the stampede as an “unprecedented” event and assured the court that the concerns outlined in the PIL would be reviewed at the highest level.
The court noted that the PIL extended beyond the recent tragedy, emphasizing the need for proper implementation of existing laws regarding the maximum number of passengers per compartment and platform ticket sales.
It further observed that ensuring adherence to these legal provisions could help prevent similar incidents in the future.
The case is scheduled for its next hearing on March 26.
Additionally, a separate PIL was filed in the Supreme Court on February 17, just two days after the stampede that resulted in 18 deaths and 15 injuries. The petition called for urgent measures to avert such tragedies in the future.
Filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, the PIL sought a directive to the Centre and other relevant authorities for the implementation and review of the 2014 National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report on “Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering.”