Family members of at least two victims, who lost their lives in the January 29 Mahakumbh stampede, claimed that they were yet to receive death certificates from the Uttar Pradesh government, which has resulted in denying them access to the money deposited in the bank accounts of their deceased kin or to claim insurance benefits.

At least five people, who travelled to the Mahakumbh from different districts of Bengal last month, were killed in the stampede that took place early in the morning on January 29 near the Sangam riverfront of Allahabad.

“I took my mother’s body to Calcutta without a death certificate. Now 15 days have passed, but the Uttar Pradesh government has not sent her death certificate. This is unfortunate because my mother died in the stampede in front of me, but officially, she is not dead,” said Surajit Poddar, a resident of Calcutta’s Golf Green area, whose mother, Basanti Poddar, 63, is among the five from Bengal who died in the stampede.

Poddar and family members of another Mahakumbh victim, Binod Ruidas of West Burdwan were present at the news conference organised by Desh Banchao Ganamancha. The Ganamancha, which consists of Trinamool leaders, had stood by the state government on several issues including the brutal RG Kar incident.

The family members of Poddar and Ruidas claimed that the lack of a death certificate has left them in a new crisis. They are unable to access the small amount of money their loved ones saved in banks or claim
insurance benefits.

A family member of Ruidas claimed that they believed the number of deaths exceeded 30, the official toll as claimed by the Yogi Adityanath government after the stampede.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had accused the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government of attempting to hide the actual toll.

Bengal government had conducted a post-mortem of all those five who died in Mahakumbh after their body were taken back home from Uttar Pradesh.

“However, the authority of the death certificate lies with the doctors in the hospital who first announced the death. In the case of all five persons, they died in Uttar Pradesh and that is why a doctor from Bengal can’t sign on the death certificate. Even if they do so, the bank or insurance company can question the authenticity of such certificates,” said a senior official.

Although the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government had ensured compensation worth Rs 20 lakh to each of those who died in the stampede, the family members have not received any communication regarding whether they would get the amount.

“Forget about the compensation. I am facing a fresh crisis in accessing death benefits or money deposited in my mother’s account because I failed to submit a death certificate to the authorities. I did not only lose my mother, but the lapses of the Uttar Pradesh government are preventing us from accessing our rightful demands,” added Poddar during the news conference at the Press Club in Calcutta.

Ganamancha members — who include former Trinamool MP Dola Sen and former minister Purnendu Basu— said they would reach out to the Bengal government seeking assistance for the helpless, bereaved families.

The outfit has flagged seven demands, which include: death certificates for those from Bengal who died in the Kumbh stampede, locating at least six people from Bengal who went missing in the Mahakumbh, revealing the actual number of deaths in the stampede, and announcing the Gangasagar Mela as a national fair like Kumbh.