The Supreme Court on Thursday (January 22, 2026) refused to issue omnibus directions on a PIL seeking comprehensive directions to prevent stampedes during large public gatherings, including religious events, political rallies and yatras. At the outset, the CJI raised fundamental questions about the scope of judicial intervention in matters involving crowd management and law and order. “Similar directions have been sought to implement SOP in political rallies across the country during the model code of conduct. During the hearing, the Bench asked, “Can we issue such directions at all?” and expressed reservations about the feasibility of court-mandated, all-encompassing guidelines for crowd control. The Bench said the representation was given on December 18 and the petition for filing in the top court was ready on December 21.

Source: The Hindu January 22, 2026 09:21 UTC