Hathras Stampede: SIT report claims stampede was caused due to organiser’s mistake
The stampede occurred on July 2 during a religious 'Satsang' event led by self-styled godman Suraj Pal, also known as 'Bhole Baba,' in Fulari village, Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh, a report of the particularly recent Hathras Stampede incident has been filed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Eventually, after taking 119 statements, the SIT noted that though the ‘Satsang’ organizing committee was permitted to invite 3500 people, it had invited more than that, which resulted in the tragedy.
Evidence that was showcased showed that the accident occurred while the ‘Satsang’ religious event was underway and that the blame lies with the organising committee of the event. Members of the committee were also many more than allowed, and actually, the committee failed to make adequate preparations, and some of the officials who had provided permission to visit the place had not even been there to see it.
Incident Details
The SIT also gathered statements from Hathras DM Ashish Kumar, SP Nipun Agarwal, the SDM, and the CO Sikandrarao, all of whom had authorized the Satsang, as well as from police personnel on duty during the July 2 event. ADG Agra Zone Anupam Kulshreshtha and Aligarh Commissioner Chaitra V were present. The report has now been submitted to the government.
Earlier on Monday, an eyewitness reported that the stampede occurred when a large crowd of devotees tried to gather “Baba’s Charan Dhul” (soil from the godman’s feet).
Sudhir Pratap Singh, from Mughal Garhi village, remarked “The incident happened after ‘Baba’ announced that devotees should take soil from around his feet. The devotees rushed to collect the soil in a hurry but started falling over and piling up.” Singh further added, “Baba’s convoy left the spot amid the stampede. Only locals and the administration helped the devotees who were present there.”
The Uttar Pradesh Judicial Commission team collected statements from multiple eyewitnesses regarding the Hathras stampede. Meanwhile, the godman’s lawyer, AP Singh, claimed that unidentified men sprayed poison at the event, causing chaos. He stated that these conspirators fled the scene after triggering the stampede. The lawyer stated, “The stampede incident at the Satsang was not an accident but a conspiracy.”
The stampede occurred on July 2 during a religious ‘Satsang’ event led by self-styled godman Suraj Pal, also known as ‘Bhole Baba,’ in Fulari village, Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
Devprakash Madhukar, the primary suspect in the incident, was presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Saturday and subsequently remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.The court questioned Madhukar about having written permission for the event and the source of the authorization. He stated that he had obtained permission from the SDM for a gathering of 80,000 people. When asked if the event had been publicized, he denied it. Madhukar had been on the run, with a reward of ₹1 lakh announced for his capture. He was finally arrested on July 5 in the national capital. Additionally, police reported the arrests of two other suspects, Ramprakash Shakya and Sanju Yadav.
On July 6, ‘Bhole Baba’ released a video statement vowing that “those responsible for the chaos will not be spared.” The self-styled godman, Suraj Pal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari, expressed his sorrow and offered condolences for the lives lost in the tragedy.
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