No Death Certificates, No Closure: Kin of Maha Kumbh Victims Still Left in Lurch
Without postmortems, how can the cause of death even be established?
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Ravi Kala was allegedly crushed to death in the 29 January stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. Her son Ratnesh Mishra was assured by the state authorities that a death certificate will be issued within a week after her body reached home.
Today, he's left to prove that his mother died at the Sangam nose, and not in Jhunsi.
Frustrated, Ratnesh travelled to Prayagraj himself — and spent 15 days running between hospitals, doctors, and government offices. He even arranged for witnesses who were with his mother during the stampede to testify, yet authorities refuse to accept their statements.
According to the eyewitnesses, his mother was walking with her sister when the chaos unfolded. In the rush, their hands slipped apart. Now, Ratnesh is left wondering: if his mother died at Sangam Nose, why are officials insisting it happened elsewhere? Speaking to The Quint, he admitted that his hopes are beginning to fade.
Even as the 'success stories' of Maha Kumbh continue to be told, there are other stories that need to be heard—such as that of Ratnesh Mishra. And that of Ajay Singh from Azamgarh, who is anxious about whether the government will even issue his father Daya Shankar Singh’s death certificate. Forget compensation, without a certificate, he cannot even claim the Rs 2 lakh insurance payout from the bank.
That of Mantu Kumar from Bihar who still doesn’t know whether his mother, Draupadi Devi, is alive or not.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in the state Assembly that postmortems were not conducted after the families agreed to it. However, the families of those who died in the January 29 stampede narrate a different story.
The Wait For Death Certificates
When Ajay travelled to Prayagraj for the death certificate, he was told it would be issued after the Maha Kumbh ended. Weeks later, the wait continues.
He remembers how his father’s body was wrapped in a shroud labelled "57." His father had a Rs 2 lakh insurance policy, but without a death certificate, Ajay cannot file a claim. He adds that no government compensation has reached them yet.
Sikandar Nishad from Gorakhpur, who lost his mother, Nagina Devi, in the stampede, is still waiting for both her death certificate and compensation. When The Quint spoke to him, he recalled how, at the time of his mother’s death, the officials had reassured his family. "The District Magistrate and the MP’s representatives came to our home. I even spoke to MP Ravi Kishan over the phone. But now, nobody is telling me anything about the compensation process."
Dr Ashwini Yadav, superintendent of the hospital handling the deaths, told The Quint that around 30-32 death certificates have already been issued— and that families are simply "misunderstanding" the situation. He added that people who lost their loved ones want compensation, so they want the deaths to be categorised under the stampede.
Meanwhile, Vijay Anand, Mela Officer, added:
Forget compensation—many are still waiting for the death certificate.
On 29 January, a stampede occurred around 8 AM in Sector 18 of Jhunsi. When his mother was returning after bathing, the stampede took place near Kalpavriksha Dwar Gate. Sikandar Nishad told The Quint that when he went to Prayagraj on 16 February to get the death certificate, the local doctors at the camp said that no incident had happened. But when Sikandar Nishad angrily questioned who was saying that the incident never took place, they said he will get the death certificate.
So, who is eligible for compensation? Only those who died at Sangam Nose, or also those who perished in Jhunsi or elsewhere?
Mela Officer Vijay Anand told The Quint that an inquiry commission has been formed.
Did a stampede actually take place in Jhunsi? Vijay Anand claims there is no evidence—and explains that the SIT’s report will reveal the cause of the incident. As for Sangam Nose, he added that stampede did occur, and all victims there have already received death certificates and compensation.
Post-Mortem Controversy
Beyond the death certificates and compensation, even the postmortems are under contention. CM Adityanath stated in the Assembly that 30 devotees lost their lives at Sangam Nose, adding that religious traditions played a role in deciding against conducting postmortems.
But the families of the victims say otherwise.
Ratnesh Mishra and Ajay Singh claim that when they arrived to collect their relatives’ bodies and requested post-mortems, they were denied.
Missing Persons
Then there are those who are still searching for their loved ones. The lost-and-found center at the Maha Kumbh, once crowded with worried families, now stands eerily empty. But the posters plastered on its walls tell another story—families still waiting, still hoping. Some of these posters even offer cash rewards.
One of them belongs to Mantu Kumar from Bihar.
Mantu Kumar said that his mother, Draupadi Devi, has been missing since 14 February. They had reported it to the lost-and-found center, but nothing happened. He himself tried to search for her for 20 days, put up posters everywhere, but to this day, Mantu doesn’t know if she is alive or dead.
When The Quint asked the Mela Officer, he said they have provided digital lost-and-found data, and all reported cases have been closed. There is no futher information on how many people were lost, and later found, in the public domain.
Unanswered Questions
Back to the stories of Ratnesh Mishra, Ajay Singh, and Sikandar Nishad. As of 11 March, their wait for death certificates continues. The Mela Officer’s statements raise urgent questions:
How will authorities determine whose deaths resulted from the stampede and whose were due to "natural causes"?
Without postmortems, how can the cause of death even be established?
If we accept the claim that those who died in Jhunsi suffered 'natural deaths', then what about the bodies of Ratnesh Mishra’s mother, Ajay Singh’s father, and Sikandar Nishad’s mother? Do their deaths look natural?