New Delhi station stampede: Why ticket sale exceeding limit, asks HC

"IF there's a fixed limit on the number of passengers in a coach, why is the ticket sale exceeding that limit? This is a fundamental problem," the Delhi High Court said while hearing a PIL over the February 15 stampede at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) that claimed 18 lives, including nine women and four children.

- SHEKHAR SINGH @New Delhi

The court issued notices to the Centre, Railways, and the Railway Board seeking their response on urgent safety measures to prevent such tragedies in future. The high court fixed the matter for further hearing on March 26.

During the Wednesday hearing, a division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela sharply criticised the Indian Railways' practice of overselling tickets beyond a train's capacity.

Citing Section 57 of the Railways Act, which mandates that each coach must have a fixed maximum capacity, the court pointed out that the provision was being disregarded.