New Delhi: A BBC Hindi investigation has concluded that there were “at least 82 deaths” in the stampede during the Mahakumbh on Mauni Amavasya in Allahabad on January 29 this year.After an initial information blackout and no statement for over a day, police had said that 30 people had died. This figure was never updated and the government has as yet not given a total count of the people who died at the Kumbh, even though it has announced a Rs 25-lakh compensation for the families of those who died. The Allahabad high court recently asked for it to disclose the total number of people who died at the Kumbh this time. BBC reports that it has met 26 other families who received compensation in cash bundles of Rs 5 lakh each, but the names of the victims were not used to update the figures of the dead. The investigation traversed 50 districts and meetings with 100 families, and the ability of the investigation to confirm “at least 82 deaths”. The union government and the Adityanath government have claimed that “66 crore persons attended the 45-day Kumbh and claimed that it was a huge success. Rs 7000 crore of public money was reportedly spent on the event. It was only as late as February 19 that the chief minister Adityanath made a statement in the state Assembly on the stampede, admitting to 30 deaths, and 29 bodies being identified. He referred to some places as “pressure points”, saying that some difficulty was experienced there. BBC in its investigation found that deaths at occurred at four of these so-called “pressure points”. The report classifies the victims into three categories, the first who received officially acknowledged compensation of Rs 25 lakh each, the second category of those who got Rs 5 lakh – in cash. The third category of those victims who got nothing at all.As far as government giving cash as compensation for such avoidable tragedies goes, the disbursal of ex-gratia compensation to the next of kin of those who died in the stampede at the New Delhi railway station in February had raised eyebrows, and many questions too, with regard to the mode of payment. Union Railway ministry officials were reported to have been seen “handing over wads of cash, in bundles of notes of Rs 100 and 50, after announcing that it would provide Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia to the kin.”37 of the deceased that were paid Rs 25 lakh was by direct transfer or by cheque. But BBC says it is unable to confirm where the money for 36 families – who confirmed Rs 5 lakh cash bundles each by the government adding upto Rs 1 crore and 30 lakh – came from. Most of those who the investigation has confirmed got cash, have videos and images of the money being handed over. The report says that in most cases, UP police was involved in the handing over of money.The BBC says it was able to confirm that there are at least 19 families who have lost people in the stampede but received no help from the government. The investigation has scores of accounts of eyewitnesses, photographs and conversations with affected parties. The report concludes by saying that there is a possibility that the numbers killed in the stampede is much higher, but they are sticking to 82 as that is the number they have been able to confirm by way of “solid evidence and eyewitness accounts”.