"My mother died in the Mahakumbh tragedy. On March 19, some officials from Lucknow, along with the local police station’s SHO and other police personnel, came to my house. They took out a bundle of ₹5 lakh in cash from a bag and handed it to me. They also made me sign a paper. I couldn’t understand why the government was giving cash. Compensation usually comes directly into the bank account. The government had announced ₹25 lakh as compensation — then why only ₹5 lakh?"
These are the questions raised by Sikandar Nishad from Gorakhpur. His mother, Nagina Devi, died in the Mahakumbh tragedy on January 29. Till now, he hasn’t even received her death certificate, but he was handed ₹5 lakh in cash as compensation — bundles of currency notes.
Along with Sikandar Nishad, families of other victims like Shailesh Sahani, Krishna Gupta, and Sushma Chauhan have also received ₹5 lakh in cash. The Quint had earlier reported on the lack of compensation, and a few days after that report, the families were given this money.
However, the manner in which the money was given raises several questions:
If it was compensation, why wasn't it transferred via cheque or directly to the bank account? Why was it given in cash?
Why weren’t the families provided any documentary proof that they received ₹5 lakh?
This report by The Quint explores these very questions.
"One bundle contained 10 stacks of ₹500 notes."
Prabhunath Gupta from Gorakhpur died in the Mahakumbh tragedy. His son, Krishna Gupta, told The Quint, "On March 19, the SDM, the SHO, and 5–6 policemen came to our house. They handed over 10 stacks of ₹500 notes. Each stack had 50 notes. At first, we were scared — why were they giving cash? While handing over the cash, they were also recording a video."
“They didn’t give us any paper apart from the cash. We have no proof of where this ₹5 lakh came from. The police and officials had one document which stated that ₹5 lakh was given. Something feels fishy to me. They had announced ₹25 lakh, but only gave ₹5 lakh — and that too, in cash.”Krishna Gupta, son of the deceased Prabhunath Gupta
The Quint spoke to Vijay Kiran Anand, who was the Mela Officer, regarding the distribution of cash. He said he had no information about this — he doesn't know who gave the cash or to whom it was given.
Usha Devi, wife of the deceased Prabhunath Gupta, said that the people who came were also recording a video. They told us, "Say that this ₹5 lakh is emergency aid. Your husband has passed away."
She added, "There were no injury marks on Prabhunath Gupta’s body. No marks on his neck. There were no visible wounds."
“Tell me, can someone die without any injuries? There was a bruise on his shoulder, but we didn’t mention it. We said whatever they told us to say. At the time of the incident, we had even asked for a post-mortem. But the people there told us to take the body — a post-mortem would not be conducted.”Usha Devi, wife of the deceased Prabhunath Gupta
“The bank officials were asking where such a large amount of cash came from.”
Krishna, son of the deceased Prabhunath Gupta, said, “When I went to deposit the ₹5 lakh cash in the bank, they asked where the money had come from. I told them it was compensation for the Mahakumbh tragedy. They then asked, ‘Why was it given in cash? It should’ve been a cheque.’ After some discussion, they agreed to accept it. The bundles of notes had some stamps on them.”
“It was written on the document — death occurred due to illness.”
In the Mahakumbh tragedy, Sikandar Nishad from Gorakhpur also lost his mother, Nagina Devi. On March 19, some officials and policemen visited his house as well and handed over ₹5 lakh in cash.
But instead of feeling relieved, Sikandar was left worried. He told The Quint, “I received ₹5 lakh, but I couldn’t understand under what category or scheme it was given. They just said it came on the Chief Minister’s orders — that it was sent by the Chief Minister.”
“They had a report with them which stated that my mother passed away due to illness while returning after bathing. The officials told me, ‘Read this and sign it.’ When I read it, I was shocked. I asked, ‘Why is this written incorrectly?’ If she had been ill, would we have sent her to the Kumbh? Why would she go to bathe? She had walked 25 kilometers on foot. Would she have been able to do that if she were sick? Then they struck out that part and rewrote it on a plain sheet of paper, saying that my mother was returning after bathing when a stampede occurred, and she died after being crushed.”
Sikandar further said, “When I tried to take a photo of the paper I had signed, they stopped me. They got my signature and said that more money would be given later. They mentioned they had come from Lucknow. Local police were there too. When they came, they were showing a list, saying, ‘We’ve already given money to these people, now we’ve come to your house.’ But I don’t think we’ll get anything beyond the ₹5 lakh. I don’t know if the full compensation will ever come.”
Sikandar Nishad said that on the day he received the money, Unwal outpost in-charge Rajeev Tiwari had called him. Rajeev Tiwari also came to their house along with the officials.
The Quint spoke to Rajeev Tiwari, who said, "We have no information about any cash being distributed. About a week ago, we had visited the homes (of the deceased) for verification. That day, we were only outside the house."
When asked who the accompanying officials were, Rajeev Tiwari responded, "We have no information about that either."
₹5 Lakh in Cash Being Given Without Death Certificates
Sikandar Nishad said that he went to Prayagraj twice to get the death certificate, but he still hasn’t received it. When the officials came to his house, he asked them when the certificate would be issued. They replied, “That’s not our department. We’ve been sent to deliver what we were instructed to, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Like Sikandar Nishad, Shailesh Sahani also hasn’t received the death certificate of his father, Pannelal Sahani. However, he was given ₹5 lakh in cash. Shailesh Sahani said that on March 19, the police came along with the SHO and other officials. The SHO was Archana Singh from Khajni. “She was the only one I recognized. They asked for my name and address, then handed over ₹5 lakh and took my signature. I asked, ‘If the compensation is ₹25 lakh, why are we only being given ₹5 lakh?’ They replied that more money would be given later.”
On the question of compensation, The Quint spoke to Archana Singh, SHO of Khajni (Gorakhpur). She said:
"I have no information about this. Even if I was present at the spot, I don’t know what was discussed inside. We only showed the way to the house. We didn’t go to every home. We’ve visited his house several times, but I have no knowledge about any compensation being given."
"Mother-in-law died in the stampede at 2 AM, but the death certificate mentions a different location"
Sushma Chauhan from Azamgarh had gone to the Mahakumbh with her mother-in-law Kamalawati for a holy dip. But during the stampede, her mother-in-law lost her life. Sushma also received ₹5 lakh in cash. She told The Quint.
"After giving the cash, they made us sign a paper. When we asked if we could take a photo, they refused and folded the paper away. They didn’t allow us to take any photos or videos. Everyone had to put their phones aside. They didn’t even let us click a photo of the document."
Sushma said that three families in Azamgarh have received cash compensation. But now, she has several questions regarding the cash. She did receive her mother-in-law’s death certificate, but it mentions the place of death as Jhunsi. Sushma Chauhan said:
"I don’t know whether we were in Jhunsi or at the Sangam Nose during the stampede. But the stampede happened around 2 AM. At the spot where the incident took place, there were 16–17 bodies lying."Sushma Chauhan, kin of deceased
This raises the question — did Sushma’s mother-in-law really die at the Sangam Nose?
According to Sushma’s account and the government's own version, the stampede occurred around 2 AM at the Sangam Nose. The government has officially acknowledged that 30 people died at the Sangam Nose. Sushma also says that at the spot where her mother-in-law died, there were 16–17 bodies lying around.
Is this just a coincidence — or is there more to it?
On the other hand, the government claimed that 7 people died at locations other than the Sangam. According to media reports, the incident in Jhunsi happened in the morning hours.
According to the government, a total of 37 people died during the Kumbh
This raises several critical questions:
If ₹25 lakh was transferred online to the families of 35 victims, then why were the remaining victims’ families given only ₹5 lakh — and that too in cash?
If the government is indeed providing this amount, under which scheme or fund is it being disbursed?
Why are the affected families not being given any official documentation for the money they’ve received?
If 30 families have already received the full ₹25 lakh compensation, then why aren't the remaining families being given the entire amount at once?
These are just some of the many unanswered questions that still remain.