Chandigarh: Senior Congress leader and former IPS officer Gurinder Singh Dhillon has called for urgent legal reforms in India to address incidents where gross negligence results in large-scale loss of human life.
Reacting to recurring tragedies caused by negligence, Dhillon said that when dozens of people die because of reckless disregard for safety, the law should not continue to treat such acts as ordinary criminal negligence. He argued that there is a pressing need to amend the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to recognize and adequately punish cases involving mass casualties caused by extreme negligence.
In a statement, Dhillon remarked, “When negligence kills dozens, it ceases to be ordinary criminal negligence. A death trap that claims multiple lives cannot be viewed through the same legal lens as an isolated act of negligence. The law must evolve to reflect the gravity of such incidents.”
The former IPS officer noted that India has witnessed numerous disasters over the years, including industrial accidents, building collapses, stampedes, fires, transportation mishaps and other preventable tragedies, where investigations often reveal blatant violations of safety norms and regulatory failures. Despite the scale of human loss, he said, those responsible are frequently charged under provisions dealing with negligence rather than offences that reflect the severity of the consequences.
Dhillon questioned whether the existing legal framework sufficiently deters individuals, corporations and authorities from ignoring safety standards. “When a known hazard is allowed to persist, when warnings are ignored and when basic safety measures are deliberately overlooked, the resulting deaths cannot simply be dismissed as unfortunate accidents,” he said.
Calling upon legal experts, lawmakers and policymakers to examine the issue, Dhillon proposed that the BNS should be amended to create a distinct offence for mass deaths caused by criminal negligence. Such a provision, he argued, would recognize the difference between a minor negligent act and conduct that creates a foreseeable risk of death for large numbers of people.
He further emphasized that stronger accountability mechanisms are essential to ensure justice for victims and their families. According to him, a modern legal system must not only punish wrongdoing but also serve as a deterrent against reckless conduct that endangers public safety.
Dhillon concluded by urging the legal fraternity and Parliament to initiate a serious debate on the issue. “A death trap that kills dozens demands a stronger legal response. The law must recognize that when negligence on such a scale takes lives, society expects accountability that matches the magnitude of the tragedy,” he said.