New Delhi, Feb 19 Following a "devastating stampede" which broke out at the New Delhi Railway Station during peak evening hours on February 15 leaving 18 dead, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday called for a response from the railway authorities.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking guidelines to prevent such accidents in future.
"The unfortunate accident (stampede) that took place on February 15 in the New Delhi Railway Station could have been avoided if railway authorities followed the rules set in Railways Act, 1989; and followed their safety manuals and accident-related guidelines," said the petition filed through advocates Aditya Trivedi and Subhi Pastor.
During the course of the hearing, advocate Trivedi argued that the tragedy that unfolded on Platform No. 16 could have been avoided if railway authorities implemented the rules strictly.
Under Section 57 of the Railways Act, 1989, every railway administration is mandated to fix the maximum number of passengers which may be carried in each compartment of every description of carriage. Further, as per Section 147, there is a mandatory requirement of platform tickets to enter railway stations when a person is not carrying a valid reservation.
"Non-consideration by respondents (authorities) to the fact that due to the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, these rules must have been strictly enforced. Even in normal circumstances, these rules are not enforced and we see crowded trains and platforms," the petition contended.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the second highest law officer of the Centre, submitted that the railway administration is not treating the petition to be adversarial litigation and the issue will be examined by the Railway Board at the highest level.
Recording the submission, the CJ Upadhyaya-led Bench posted the matter for hearing on March 26 and in the meantime, asked the Union government to file a short affidavit giving details of the decisions which might be taken by the Railway Board.
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