'Why are extra tickets sold': Delhi HC to Indian Railways on New Delhi stampede

The Delhi high court was hearing a PIL over the February 15 stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station.

The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed the Railways to fix the issues of sale of platform tickets, and the maximum number of passengers in a train coach, both of which were raised in a public interest litigation (PIL) over the February 15 stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station.

A Railway Police personnel doing announcements at the New Delhi Railway Station, days after the February 15 stampede which resulted in the death of 18 people. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

“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, as per news agency PTI.

Further, the bench of Delhi high court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said the PIL was not ‘confined’ to the recent incident, and sought implementation of the existing legal provisions (Sections 57 and 147 of the Railways Act) with respect to maximum number of passengers in a compartment and sale of platform tickets.

While section 57 mandates that the railway administration must fix the maximum number of passengers allowed in each compartment of every type of carriage, section 147 requires platform tickets for entry into railway stations when a person does not have a valid reservation.

The bench's observation came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Railways, said there was an ‘unprecedented’ situation on the night of the stampede, and assured the court issues raised in the PIL would be 'considered at the highest level.'

"If you (Railways) fix the number of passengers to be accommodated in a coach then why do you sell, why the number of tickets sold exceed that number ? That is a problem," barandbench.com quoted the court.

"If the legal provisions were perhaps implemented adequately, such incidents of stampede could be avoided," the bench added.

The next hearing in the case will be held on March 26.

The New Delhi Railway Station stampede claimed 18 lives and left 15 injured. The stampede occurred amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. To reach the city, crowds are thronging railway stations across the country.

Trains are running jam packed, with ticketless passengers travelling even in reserved coaches. There have also been incidents of passengers, who could not board a train as doors were locked by those inside, vandalising the train.