JAMMU: A court in J&K’s Reasi district dismissed a plea seeking an FIR against Vaishno Devi shrine board officials for the death of 35 pilgrims in a landslide on the tracks to the site on Aug 26, ruling that a natural disaster was responsible for the tragedy.The PIL urged the registration of a police case under BNS Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 106 (causing death by rash or negligent acts) against the shrine board CEO and other officials for allegedly ignoring “adverse weather” warnings and red alerts in the state, which amounted to criminal negligence.JMFC Katra Sidhant Vaid nixed the plea, noting that the pilgrimage had been halted from time to time when required and SOPs were followed to ensure public safety. “The case of criminal negligence is not made out, and no cognisable offence is prima facie made out,” he said.The judge, however, clarified that the court’s observations would not have any bearing on the inquiry ordered into the mishap by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha days after the accident.Following the Aug 26 landslide, the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage remained suspended for 22 days.
