New Delhi, Feb. 20 -- The Delhi high court on Wednesday reprimanded the Indian Railways for selling tickets far beyond the capacity of train coaches, stating that the February 15 stampede at New Delhi railway station - which claimed at least 18 lives - was an "unfortunate", but "avoidable" tragedy if the Railways had adhered to its own rules.
A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Arth Vidhi, questioned the Railways for neglecting legal provisions that mandate the fixing of number of passengers per compartment.
The judges pointed to Section 57 of the Railways Act, 1989, which mandates that railway authorities determine and display the maximum number...