Regarding the Vadodara stampede case, the Supreme Court has said that celebrities also have rights like ordinary citizens and cannot be considered ‘averse to guilty’. The Supreme Court on Monday overturned a criminal case filed against Shah Rukh Khan and others for allegedly creating a stampede at the Vadodara railway station while defending the Gujarat HC order.
A bench of Judge Ajay Rastogi and Judge CT Ravikumar refused to interfere with the order passed by the Gujarat High Court annulling the complaint filed by the complainant against the actor. The bank said, “What was this man’s (SRK) fault? Just because he’s a celebrity doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any rights. If you travel by train, there’s no personal guarantee. A celebrity also has the same rights.” than every citizen in the country. He (SRK) is a celebrity, but that doesn’t mean he can control everyone else. Let’s focus on the bigger issues that deserve the court’s attention and time.”
Lead attorney Sandeep Kapur, who was part of SRK’s legal team on the matter, told ETimes: “The petitioner argued in the SC that because Shah Rukh Khan is a celebrity, he should have been careful, but the SC was not ok.. The judges questioned the petitioner how Shahrukh Khan can be held responsible for what is happening on the platform.He said that he cannot be selected just because he is a celebrity.,
He further said: “The judges also questioned who the complainant was and why he was interested and able to spend on lawyers in this case. The complainant is not related to the victim nor is he on the site.”
In January 2017, Shah Rukh and the film’s production team Raees traveled by train from Mumbai to Delhi as part of the film’s promotions. At the Vadodara railway station, a huge crowd of more than 15,000 people gathered to see the actor. This led to a stampede, in which some people were injured and one person was killed.
Ravinder Bhakar, who was then Western Railway’s Director of Public Relations (CPRO) and currently serves as NFDC’s MD, said at the time of the incident: “Shahrukh Khan’s train journey, with around 60 crew members by Raees. The film was allowed to the crew after the team deposited a promotional fee of Rs 1.80 lakh. Security check rooms in various areas were also immediately informed about the details of the trip.”
The complainant (Jitendra Madhubhai Solanki) had filed a personal complaint against Shahrukh Khan with the Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Vadodara, alleging that his presence at the Vadodara railway station led him to collect smiley shirts and balls which he threw into the crowd. . There was a stampede at the station. In an application filed by Shahrukh Khan to vacate said complaint, the Gujarat HC (Order dated 27.04.2022) dismissed the complaint filed against Shahrukh.
