A Mother Who Lost Her Life: One Year of New Delhi Railway Station Stampede

February 7, 2026

On February 15 last year, a deadly stampede took place at the New Delhi Railway Station. It was triggered by a sudden surge of passengers, fueled by delays to three trains, including a special train bound for the Maha Kumbh mela - projected as the world's biggest religious congregation - that was being held in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.
One year on, students of Jamia Milia Islamia University revisit the family of Pinki Devi, who was one of the 18 victims who lost their lives in the tragic incident. She left behind her husband and two children who are building their life from scratch. Through her story, we look at the bigger picture: no heads rolled by Railways yet, and nothing changed at NDLS even now. Her family claims that the cash compensation given immediately after the stampede to victims' families was to force the kins into silence.
On January 7, 2026, during a hearing on a Public Interest Litigation filed by an organisation that argued the stampede exposed “gross mismanagement and administrative failure,” the Delhi High Court strongly criticised Indian Railways for not filing its response on the fatal 2025 New Delhi Railway Station stampede even after one year.