Stampede at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In the much-publicized Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Govt to make public the enquiry report of 3 members Committee constituted vide order No. 01-JK (GAD) to look into the unfortunate incident of stampede at Bhawan of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, which resulted into death of 12 devotees and injuring several others, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board filed its response to Public Interest Litigation as the Division Bench had already issued notices to the respondents including the Shrine Board (SMVDSB) on September 22, 2022 to file a comprehensive reply.
On September 12, 2022, a PIL was filed by Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed through Advocate H A Siddiqui seeking directions to the Government of J&K including Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to make public enquiry report of 3 members Committee which had been constituted on the directions of Lieutenant Governor J&K being Chairman of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to look into the unfortunate incident of stampede at Bhawan of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in intervening night of December 31, 2021 and January 1, 2022.
After hearing Senior Advocate A V Gupta with Advocates H A Siddiqui, Supriya Singh Chouhan and Mohd Zulkarnain Chowdhary appearing for the petitioner, a Division Bench of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh on September 22, 2022 (through Virtual Mode) comprising the then Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal (presently judge of Supreme Court) and Justice Sindhu Sharma while issuing notices in the PIL, had directed AAG Raman Sharma to file a comprehensive reply to the PIL.
The matter further came to be listed on October 28, 2022, February 06, 2023, February 22, 2023 and finally on March 2, 2023, came up before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Puneet Gupta and after considering the submissions of Advocate H.A. Siddiqui with Advocate Supriya Singh Chouhan appearing for the petitioner, which adjourned the matter on the request of Advocate General D C Raina appearing for the Government of J&K, who looking into the sensitivity of the matter assured the Division Bench to come up with a reply within four weeks and matter was deferred for April 13, 2023. On Thursday, Shrine Board filed its response but PIL could not be taken up for hearing and same has been directed to be listed on April 26, 2023.
