KATRA, Dec 21: A local court in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, dismissed a petition seeking an FIR against Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board officials for the tragic death of 35 pilgrims in an August 26 landslide along the shrine track, ruling unequivocally that the incident resulted from a natural disaster beyond human control rather than any criminal negligence.
Sub-Judge Sidhant Vaid, Judicial Magistrate First Class, emphasized that the “proximate and immediate cause” was heavy rainfall-induced landslides after days of downpours, with police reports and witness testimonies confirming adherence to standard operating procedures, including temporary Yatra suspensions on August 24 and 25 amid prior heavy rains.
The plea had accused the Shrine Board’s CEO and others of failing to halt the pilgrimage despite weather warnings from Srinagar’s Meteorological Centre and the J&K Disaster Management Authority, invoking BNS Sections 105 (culpable homicide) and 106 (death by negligence); the court rejected this, noting administrative lapses—if any—do not meet the threshold of gross negligence, foreseeability, or direct causation required for criminal liability, distinguishing mere errors in judgment from intent-driven offenses. The ruling preserves Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s post-incident inquiry without interference.
