A crowd crush near the Sangam on 29 January 2025 killed 37 people by the official count. A judicial inquiry continues; claims go to the district.
A temporary city of roads, pontoon bridges and camps rose at the Sangam for a 45-day Mela, ending on 26 February 2025.
Before the Mauni Amavasya bath, a crowd on the Akhara Marg pressed against barricades that gave way. People fell and were trampled.
The Hindustan Times quoted a local police official saying seven died at Jhusi around 5:30 to 6 am. It was not acknowledged that day.
The Sangam crush, the Jhusi report, the delayed Amrit Snan, the police toll and the inquiry, in order.
About 17 hours after the crush, the Mela DIG said 30 had died and 60 were injured, and that a crowd had broken the barricades.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath named a commission under Justice Harsh Kumar, with V.K. Gupta and D.K. Singh, and Rs 25 lakh per death.
An explanatory model: density, a bottleneck, the front stops, pressure builds, people fall. Not a reconstruction.
Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna's bench called it unfortunate but, as a commission existed, told the petitioner to go to the Allahabad High Court.
The state counts 30 deaths at the Sangam and seven in a separate incident the same day. It is the state's own figure.
After the High Court asked for clear terms, the commission was told to inquire into loss of life and property and coordination with health services.
Adityanath said some injured died in hospital "but we didn't let it get highlighted, so that there was no panic".
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said police and public order are state subjects and no data on deaths is kept centrally.
A vacation bench said the state's stand smacked of apathy and ordered disclosure of every death and claim from 28 January to the Mela's end.
From documents and family interviews, the BBC said at least 82 died, including 26 families it says got Rs 5 lakh in cash. The government did not respond.
30 from the first police count, 37 from the state and at least 82 from a BBC Hindi investigation.
Justices Ajit Kumar and Swarupama Chaturvedi refused to wait for the commission and set 30 days to finalise Uday Pratap Singh's claim.
The Meladhikari, not the commission, must verify and decide each claim within 30 days; inquest and post-mortem reports are accepted.
File with the district administration, verification by the Meladhikari, records accepted, decision within 30 days.
Commission, Supreme Court, widened scope, High Court remarks and the 2026 compensation orders.
I found no published final report from the commission by 5 November 2026. No court has assigned criminal or individual blame.
Live density monitoring, one-way flow, safe barricades, emergency corridors, clear announcements, one command, casualty records, drills.
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