A petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the deaths of 14 people during the Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony on April 16 due to heatstroke.
According to the petition filed by lawyer Shaila Kanthe, the ceremony was held in an open field in Kharghar, where approximately 10 lakh people gathered.
The Maharashtra government organized it, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Municipal Corporation, and the Police Commissioner of Navi Mumbai were all aware of the magnitude of the event and the weather conditions, Kanthe stated.
She stated that due to poor planning and despite spending over 14 crores, attendees were forced to sit in the sun for 7-8 hours and suffered from heat stroke.
Advocate Kanthe emphasized that 14 people were killed during and after the event.
She sought the registration of a criminal complaint, including murder charges, against the award ceremony organizers in the PIL filed through advocate Nitin Satpute.
The lawyer further claimed that she was forced to go to court after the police refused to take her complaint seriously.
The PIL also requested direction to the Director General of Police (DGP) to take criminal action against his subordinates who failed to take steps against the errant officials. Kanthe also claimed that the event was a waste of public money. She had sought to register a FIR against Shinde, Fadnavis, and the organisers for the tragic event, alleging it occurred due to the negligence and failure to make proper arrangements.
She also demanded that social activist Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, who received an award at the ceremony, be held accountable for the tragedy and that the Rs 25 lakhs that were given to him be refunded.
The lawyer demanded payment of Rs 50 lakh to the surviving family members of the deceased, and Rs 5 lakh to those hurt in the incident.
The PIL is most likely to be scheduled for hearing on May 2, 2023.
