Mahakumbh Mela Stampede: PUCL Probe Points to Cover-Up of Death Toll by Government
A detailed probe by the PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties) on the tragic stampede that occurred during the Mahakumbh Mela at Prayagraj (Allahabad) on Mauni Amavasya (January 29, 2025), has revealed a large scale cover-up of the death toll and the number of missing persons. The PUCL probe report underscores that the tragic incident and its aftermath are marked by a disturbing pattern of administrative negligence, misinformation, and concealment.
While the state government officially acknowledged only 37 deaths, the PUCL team found compelling evidence, including crushed bodies at morgues, eyewitness testimonies, and media footage, suggesting the real death toll was significantly higher. An overwhelming number of pilgrims remained missing even after the event concluded, with 869 people registered as unaccounted for. The administration’s refusal to allow families and media access to postmortem houses further deepened suspicions of a cover-up.
Despite a record ₹73,000 crore budget, the Mela’s infrastructure failed catastrophically. Only a handful of pontoon bridges were operational for the public, while most were reserved for VIPs. Critical crowd control measures, such as segregated entry/exit routes, were ignored, and AI-enabled surveillance systems failed to prevent or respond to bottlenecks. Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene of lights being switched off and mobile signals jammed during the stampede, with pilgrims forced to flee in chaos through open drains. Police allegedly used batons to manage the crowd, triggering panic. Testimonies from traumatized survivors paint a grim picture of systemic apathy and human suffering.
What emerges powerfully is the prioritization of optics over safety. The government’s obsession with setting attendance records, fueled by an unverified claim of a “Kumbh after 144 years,” led to the reckless invitation of millions. The administration, distracted by VIP protocols and media management, failed to uphold basic crowd safety protocols. The PUCL report criticizes the diversion of security and planning resources toward political spectacle, leaving ordinary pilgrims to fend for themselves in life-threatening conditions. The stampede at Jhunsi, which the administration initially denied, was only acknowledged after public and legislative pressure.
The report demands transparency, accountability, and justice: a full disclosure of death and missing person data, psychological support for survivors, and an independent inquiry with witness protection. It sharply indicts the government for criminal negligence, misuse of public funds, and attempts to criminalize dissent by labeling critics as anti-religious or conspirators. Ultimately, the tragedy is a sobering indictment of how institutional disregard for public safety — when fused with religious populism and political vanity — can turn a sacred gathering into a site of avoidable death and despair.
Read the report below:
Continue reading the PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties) report on the tragic stampede here.
