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Journalism of Courage
A middle-aged woman dressed in a saree. No name, no ID.
More than two weeks after at least 30 people were killed in the January 29 Kumbh stampede, a woman’s body that was brought to a hospital in the rush of victims remains unidentified, leaving police with the task of figuring out who she was among the sea of visitors at the mega event.
According to officials, some people searching for their missing loved ones have viewed the body, but no one has recognised or claimed it so far.
In the absence of a comprehensive list of stampede victims, officials did not confirm whether the woman died in the same incident or an unrelated one.
Officials did acknowledge that the body, currently at the mortuary of Motilal Nehru National Medical College in Prayagraj, was brought from the Kumbh Mela around the time of the stampede.
A senior doctor said the woman did not appear to have any serious visible injuries. Hospital authorities have made arrangements to keep the body in the mortuary, but police will decide the duration of storage, he said.
All other bodies brought for postmortem at the time have been sent to their respective homes after their identities were confirmed, officials said.
According to officials, police are reviewing CCTVs from the Kumbh area to identify the woman in any of the footage and trace her movements before the stampede.
“We are making every effort to establish the identity,” said DIG, Prayagraj, Vaibhav Krishna.
Posters have been put up in key locations, including railway stations and bus stops, urging the public to provide any information that could help identify the body.
Details have also been shared with police stations across Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states, but in vain.
The DIG said the body would be kept for a few days, and if it remains unclaimed, a decision would be made on its disposal.
Asked about when the list of stampede victims would be released, DIG Krishna said it would be issued soon but did not specify a timeline.
Political parties have been demanding that the state government disclose the victims’ names. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for each victim’s family.
The stampede occurred at around 1:30 am as crowds moved toward the Sangam Nose – a strip of land at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati – for a ritual bath on Mauni Amavasya, considered an auspicious day.
The victims were rushed to medical facilities within the Maha Kumbh grounds and hospitals in the city. They were later referred to larger hospitals, from where those who died were sent to the post-mortem house.
Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath has ordered a judicial probe and said a separate inquiry would be conducted by the UP Police.
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