Hathras stampede key accused Devprakash Madhukar surrenders, claims lawyer

NEW DELHI: The key accused of the Hathras stampede, Devprakash Madhukar, surrendered on Friday and has been taken into custody by the Uttar Pradesh Police. Madhukar was the main organiser of the 'satsang' (religious prayer meet) where a stampede claimed the lives of 121 people.
Madhukar's lawyer, AP Singh claimed that Madhukar surrendered to the Delhi Police in Najafgarh and following his surrender, the Delhi Police handed him over to the UP Police.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh police had announced a Rs 1 lakh bounty on Madhukar. The state government agencies had launched intensive searches across the state and in neighbouring Rajasthan and Haryana to trace the Hathras stampede key accused. The police is also looking for self-styled godman Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba for questioning. He is on the run after the incident.
On Thursday, the police had informed that six arrests were made in the case.
A total of 121 people, mostly women, were killed in the stampede after the preacher's satsang in Hathras' Fulrai village on July 2.
While Madhukar, the 'mukhya sevadar' (chief organiser of the satsang), is named as accused in the FIR. It, however, does not mention Bhole Baba as the accused.
An FIR in the matter was lodged on July 2 under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).
Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) also submitted its report on the stampede.
"Evidence collected so far suggests culpability of the organisers," said ADG Anupam Kulshrestha, chief of SIT to news agency PTI.
With the probe continuing in the case, the senior IPS officer insisted the "conspiracy angle" cannot be ruled out.
"Those culpable will face legal action," Kulshrestha said.
A report has been submitted to the government by the Additional Director General of Police (Agra Zone) Anupam Kulshrestha who was among the top officers who visited Hathras to oversee rescue and relief measures after the stampede in Hathras on July 2.