Photograph: @myogiadityanath/X
At least 121 people, mostly women, lost their lives in a stampede during a religious event in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred as attendees were leaving a ‘satsang’ held in Phulrai village, conducted by the spiritual leader known as ‘Bhole Baba’.
The stampede led to suffocation and a pile-up of bodies, marking it as one of the most severe such tragedies in recent years. The event was organised by Suraj Pal, popularly known as ‘Narayan Sakar Hari’ or ‘Bhole Baba’, a preacher from Bahadur Nagar village in Kasganj district, Uttar Pradesh.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Devprakash Madhukar, referred to as ‘Mukhya Sewadar’ and other organisers of a prayer meeting congregation ‘Satsang’ organised in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh where a stampede took place.
The death toll has gone up to 121. Around 28 people have sustained injuries in the incident, the Office of Relief Commissioner said on Wednesday.
The case has been registered under The FIR, under Sections 105, 110, 126(2), 223, and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The death toll in the incident on Wednesday rose to 121 with 28 people sustaining injuries according to information given by Office of the Relief Commissioner.
As per the FIR lodged in the case the Satsang was held by Suraj Pal who also goes by the names Narayan Hari, Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba or simply ‘Bhole Baba’ near GT Road in the Phulrai Mugalgarhi village in the Hathras district.
The main organiser Madhukar had sought permission from the administration for around 80,000 people and the administration made the traffic and safety arrangements accordingly. However, around 2.5 lakh people gathered at the ‘Satsang’, causing heavy traffic on the road and halting the vehicular movements, the FIR read.
After the Satsang got over due to the uncontrollable crowd leaving the venue, those who were sitting on the ground were crushed.
Organising committee members used sticks to attempt to forcibly stop the crowd running in the water and mud-filled fields, due to which the pressure of the crowd kept increasing and women, children, and men kept getting crushed, the FIR detailed.
According to PTI, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a judicial probe into the Hathras stampede i. He said that among those killed, six were from other states: four from Haryana, and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
He said retired administration and police officials will also be part of the judicial inquiry to probe the stampede. The committee will find who is responsible for the tragedy, or if it was a conspiracy, the chief minister said.
“We will ensure such incidents do not occur in the future,” he said, adding the government may put in place a Standard Operating Procedure which will guide organisation of such events in the future. “We will ensure this.”
