Elphinstone stampede: HC pulls up activists for closing eyes to problem

The Bombay High Court today castigated "so-called activists" for approaching it on the issue of safety of commuters only after the Elphinstone Road station stampede and asked why they woke up to the "serious and sensitive" issue only after the death of so many people.

On September 29, a stampede on the stairwell of a narrow foot over bridge (FOB) at the station left 23 dead and over 30 injured.

Soon after the mishap, four public interest litigations (PILs) were filed in the high court seeking directions to the railways to take measures to ensure that such an incident is not repeated at any other railway station.

The HC today noted that only after so many people died that the activists realised and came up with petitions.

"The station concerned and bridge is in existence since 1867, according to the petitions. Till date...till 23 people died...till the incident everybody closed their eyes to the problem. Now after the incident, these so-called activists have woken up and come with PILs," a division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice N M Jamdar said.
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