Delhi High Court Raps Centre for Delay in NDLS Stampede Safety Case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday strongly criticised the Central government and Indian Railways for not taking a public interest litigation (PIL) on railway station safety seriously.

The PIL was filed after a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station in February 2025, which led to the death of at least 18 people. The petition seeks proper safety measures to prevent overcrowding and stampede-like situations at major railway stations.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia noted that when the matter was first heard on February 19, 2025, the government had assured the Court that the concerns would be examined at the highest level by the Railway Board. This assurance was given by Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre.

However, the Court observed that even after nearly one year, the government had not filed its response or affidavit in the case. Expressing displeasure, the Chief Justice told the government’s counsel to take the matter seriously and not treat the Court casually, especially when a statement had been made earlier by the country’s top law officer.

The Bench pointed out that the affidavit was supposed to be filed by March 26, 2025, but was still pending. Although the Railways informed the Court that steps were being taken to manage overcrowding, the judges said these measures must be clearly explained in a detailed affidavit.

The Court has now given the Railways four weeks to file its affidavit, specifically asking for a clear account of the steps taken by the Railway Board to prevent such tragic incidents in the future. The case has been listed for further hearing next month.

The PIL was filed by Arth Vidhi, a collective of lawyers, entrepreneurs and professionals, highlighting the need for strict implementation of safety provisions under the Railways Act to avoid loss of life at crowded stations.