Hathras Stampede Live Updates: Prime accused Devprakash Madhukar sent to 14-day judicial custody

A CJM court sent the prime accused Devprakash Madhukar to 14-day judicial custody. Madhukar was the main organiser of the 'satsang' (religious prayer meet)where a stampede claimed the lives of 121 people.

"We saw the entire spot... All the members (of the committee) are present here. We will question all those who need to be questioned. Yes, we will submit our report within 2 months," he said.

Devprakash Madhukar, the primary suspect in the Hathras stampede on July 2 that claimed 121 lives, was apprehended late last night by city police in Nazafgarh. He had fled to Delhi following the incident but was subsequently captured by Uttar Pradesh Police. The prime accused in the 'satsang' stampede tragedy has been arrested. 121 people were killed in a stampede that occurred during the satsang of 'Bhole Baba'. An FIR was lodged and six people have already been arrested. The prime accused was arrested yesterday late night from Nazafgarh and has been brought to Hathras," says Hathras SP Nipun Aggarwal addressing a press conference.

"Dev Prakash Madhukar, the main accused in the Hathras has been arrested...a reward of Rs 1 lakh was announced on him... He was arrested from Delhi's Najafgarh and was brought to Hathras... Further investigation is underway," he said.

"See, the SOG of Hathras district arrested Dev Prakash Madhukar yesterday evening in from Delhi's Najafgarh. They have been questioned... The list of donors is being compiled to see from where funding is being done. We are also corresponding with the Income Tax Department. Whoever is guilty of this, they will not be spared," he said.

"The prime accused in the 'satsang' stampede tragedy has been arrested. 121 people were killed in a stampede that occurred during the satsang of 'Bhole Baba'. An FIR was lodged and six people have already been arrested. The prime accused was arrested yesterday late night from Nazafgarh," says Hathras SP Nipun Aggarwal addressing a press conference.

In context of the stampede during a 'Satsang' event in Hathras earlier this week, the Chief priest of the Ayodhya Ram Temple on Saturday said that organisers of such events should also take the responsibility.

Earlier today, self-styled godman, Suraj Pal Singh or "Bhole Baba" in a video statement, his first since the July mishap in Fulari village in which 121 people died, expressed his grief and condoled the deaths.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Chief Priest, Acharya Satyendra Das said, "He went underground after the incident. Now he is saying that he is saddened by the tragic incident. This is completely wrong."

"The one who organizes a 'Satsang' is responsible for the incidents that take place during that time. It was his responsibility. He should step forward and accept his crime," Acharya Das said.

Three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission formed by the Uttar Pradesh government leaves from Hathras Police Lines for the Hathras stempade incident.

“In the Hathras incident, 121 people lost their lives. This is a serious and sad matter. Main accused Madhukar has been arrested, along with some others. A committee under a retired judge has been appointed to look into it and identify all those responsible for the incident,” says Union Minister Ramdas Athawale.

In a video statement, Surajpal also known as 'Bhole Baba' says, "... I am deeply saddened after the incident of July 2. May God give us the strength to bear this pain. Please keep faith in the government and the administration. I have faith that anyone who created the chaos would not be spared... Through my lawyer AP Singh, I have requested the members of the committee to stand with the bereaved families and the injured and help them throughout their lives..."

The main accused of the Hathras stampede, Devprakash Madhukar, has surrendered and been taken into custody by the UP Police on Friday. Madhukar's lawyer, AP Singh claimed that Madhukar surrendered to the Delhi Police in Najafgarh and following his surrender, the Delhi Police handed him overto the UP Police.

Anupam Kulshrestha, ADG (Agra zone) and head of SIT probing the Hathras stampede, said a possible “conspiracy angle” could not be ruled out. Those involved in the probe are considering delving deeper into the angle. “More evidence has emerged from the statements (of 90 people recorded so far), and our investigation is strengthening,” the IPS officer said.

Devprakash Madhukar, the chief organiser, is the only named accused in the FIR so far; Surajpal is not mentioned.

Announcing Madhukar’s surrender, his lawyer AP Singh said in a video message that he had been undergoing medical treatment in Delhi. “We had promised we would not apply for anticipatory bail since we did no wrong. What is our crime? He is an engineer and a heart patient. Doctors said his condition is stable now and so we surrendered to join the probe,” Singh said.

Devprakash Madhukar, the prime suspect named in the FIR filed in connection with the stampede that claimed 121 lives after a sermon by Surajpal Singh, alias Bhole Baba, in Hathras on Tuesday, has been removed from his position as a technical assistant overseeing MGNREGS activities across 20 panchayats in Etah district. He was employed on a contractual basis and had been in service for 15 years.

An FIR was registered against Madhukar, the ‘mukhya sevadar (chief volunteer),’ for his “deep involvement in organising the religious gathering where the stampede occurred.”. He has been charged under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant), and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence). On Thursday, police announced a Rs 1 lakh bounty on him, and he also faces a non-bailable warrant (NBW) for being on the run.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Friday said that the organisers and administration are responsible for the Hathras stampede and asserted that this is the time to console the families affected by the incident.

Targeting the administration for the mishap, Tiwari said, "It is crystal clear that the administration and the organisers are responsible for this entire incident. This incident has happened due to the negligence of these two."

He added, "There was permission for 80 thousand people, but 2.5 lakh people reached there. There was no emergency exit, no means of treatment, and no adequate police force..."

Tiwari, while speaking with ANI said that we should console the victims' families. "Whatever has happened in Hathras cannot be compensated. This is the time to know from them how this incident happened to them."

Talking about Rahul Gandhi's visit to victims' families in Hathras, Tiwari said, "Our leader Rahul Gandhi reached Aligarh first and then Hathras and shared the grief with the victims. After that, he also talked to the family members and learned about everyone's well-being. He also told the workers there that the victims should be helped as much as possible. Rahul Gandhi had gone there with this sole purpose."

"Everyone is busy doing politics. It is good that at least someone bothered to come here," says Vineet Kumar, 26, outside a park in Hathras' Vibhav Nagar area where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the families of the July 2 stampede victims. Kumar, who is preparing for the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) examination, is not the only one who feels this way. Some other youngsters echoed the sentiment.

"It is okay if the reason behind his visit is to meet the (stampede) victims. At least a popular politician has turned up in Vibhav Nagar," Shubham Bharti, 27, told PTI on Friday.

Mahendra, 26, said people were excited to see Gandhi.

"We also wanted to come here but the area around Vibhav Nagar was barricaded in the morning," said Mahendra, also a government job aspirant.

Ahead of Gandhi's visit, a multi-layered security ring was thrown around the area with a large number of security personnel deployed along the key routes in the city.

The street leading to the meeting venue, Green Park, in Vibhav Nagar had deployment every few metres and barricades restricting entry of cars while shops on the route remained closed till Gandhi left the area.

People gathered on the terraces of their homes and had unusual guests -- security personnel -- for company. This PTI correspondent saw some security personnel closely monitoring the scene, some with binoculars.

Not everyone was excited about the VIP visit.

After Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited the families affected by the Hathras stampede, the BJP on Friday targeted the latter asking why has Rahul Gandhi not visited the families of innocent people who lost their lives in the Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy?

Targeting the Congress leader, BJP leader CR Kesavan said, "The two questions will expose the double politics of Rahul Gandhi. Why has he not found the empathy to visit the families of innocent people who lost their lives in the Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy? The second question is whether Rahul Gandhi owes an apology for misleading claims on the Agniveer scheme. Rahul says that he has a special relationship with Tamil Nadu. Neither Rahul Gandhi nor MK Stalin have consoled the families of these victims. Even today, people are being treated in hospitals."

"Rahul Gandhi misled the people by making false claims about compensation provided to Agniveer Ajay Singh. Indian Army itself posted that they honour the sacrifice of Agniveer Ajay Singh and the family has been given compensation of Rs 98.3 lakh," Kesavan added.

Sharpening his attacks, the BJP leader further added that Rahul Gandhi's falsehoods will always be defeated.

"He should stop politicising the martyrdom of Agniveers. He should apologise to the families of Agniveeers and the Indian Army," he added.

After Rahul Gandhi paid a visit to the New Delhi Railway Station to meet loco pilots, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northern Railway Deepak Kumar said that the crew members with whom the Leader of Opposition had a discussion, at the railway station were not from their lobby but may be from outside.

"Today at around 12:45 pm Rahul Gandhi came to New Delhi Railway Station. He saw our crew lobby. He had 7-8 cameramen with him. He visited our crew lobby and checked into how we book our crew lobby. After coming out of the crew lobby he had a discussion with a few people. There were around 7-8 crew who were not from our lobby but it seems that they were from outside. Since he has 7-8 cameramen, he was filming them and making reels," CPRO Deepak Kumar said speaking to ANI.

"The loco-pilots were not from our lobby. It seems that they were brought from outside," he stressed.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi met loco pilots at the New Delhi Railway Station after visiting the families affected by the Hathras stampede on Friday.

Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statement on the Harthras stampede case, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said on Friday that one shouldn't see such incidents with 'vulture eyes' for their political benefits.

The development comes as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha today visited the families of the victims of the Hathras stampede and urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to fairly compensate the families.

Trivedi said that since Rahul Gandhi became the LoP, he has been doing politics of fear and confusion. He further added that it is very sad that he is doing politics over such a heart-wrenching accident as Hathras.

"Rahul Gandhi, since he has become the LoP, he is doing the politics of fear and confusion. Yesterday, we have seen how he lied on the Agniveer issue. Today, on this heart-wrenching accident of Hathras, the politics that he is trying to do is very sad. Such incidents should be seen with the utmost sensitivity," he said.

UP Minister Sandeep Singh said on Friday that the central and the state government have announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs each for the bereaved families. The development comes after Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi met with the victims' families in the Hathras stampede incident.

"The Prime Minister and the state government, both have announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs each for the bereaved families, the total is Rs 4 lakhs. The task of transferring this amount to the accounts of the people has already started. The BJP will help these families in any manner required," he said.

Singh said that the volunteers of the Baba were handling the responsibility of security and didn't allow the police to enter the premises.

The Uttar Pradesh government's SIT probing the Hathras stampede has recorded 90 statements so far, the panel's chief Anupam Kulshrestha said on Friday. Kulshrestha, also the Additional Director General of Police (Agra Zone), is leading the three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) preparing a detailed report on the stampede that claimed 121 lives after a satsang here on July 2.
Speaking exclusively to PTI in Hathras, ADG Kulshrestha said, "Ninety statements recorded so far. A preliminary report has been submitted while work on the detailed report is underway."

On the status of police probe, the officer said the ambit of the investigation has been expanded as more evidence have emerged.

"Definitely, the gathered evidence suggests culpability on part of the organisers of the event," she said.

Meanwhile, in Lucknow, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has been apprised of the initial SIT report on the stampede.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said there were lapses on the part of the administration in the Hathras stampede incident that killed over 100 people, but added that he did not want to make it a political issue. Gandhi, after meeting the victims of the stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Friday morning, urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to release "maximum compensation" for the victims without any delay.

One of the family members who met Gandhi said he assured them that he will raise the issue in Parliament so that such incidents do not happen in future.

Speaking to reporters in Hathras on Friday morning, Gandhi said, "It is a matter of grief that so many families have suffered, so many people lost their lives."

“What has happened in Hathras is a very sensitive issue. Over 100 families have been affected. When this incident took place, the PM was in Parliament and he immediately expressed his condolences and took notice of the situation. (UP CM Yogi) Adityanath also reached there. It’s very unfortunate that three days after the incident (Congress MP) Rahul Gandhi has gone to do political tourism over there” says BJP leader Radhika Khera

Hathras Stampede: “Why UP government has been conducting affairs like these? What is the responsibility of the UP government? It happened in Hathas, part of UP, where lakhs of people gathered. How lakhs of people were allowed together?” says CPI leader D Raja.

Congress leader Kunwar Danish Ali says, "This is an unfortunate incident. We left at 5 am with Rahul Gandhi. The stories of the victims are heart-wrenching... Neither any responsibility of the administration has been fixed nor the government is taking this seriously..."

After meeting the bereaved families of the Hathras Stampede accident, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi says, "A lot of families have been affected and many people have died. I dont want to politicise this. There have been deficiencies in the system. I think they should get more compensation as these are very poor families. I request the CM of UP to provide compensation open-heartedly. They need it now, more compensation should be given as soon as possible. The family members said that the police arrangement was not enough."

Security beefed up in Hathras' Vibhav Nagar area ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to meet families of stampede victims.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met the families of victims who lost their lives in the tragic Hathras stampede that claimed 121 lives. Rahul left Delhi early in the morning and made the journey by road to Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. This marks the first visit by a senior opposition leader to the site since the incident occurred.

Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi left for stampede-affected Hathras. He will be meeting the families affected by the stampede, that claimed the lives of 121 people. The stampede took place on Tuesday evening at a satsang of religious preacher Narayan Sakar Hari, also known as 'Bhole Baba'. An FIR has been registered on the incident naming organizers of the prayer meeting but 'Bhole Baba' has not been named yet.

Six people were arrested on Thursday in connection with the stampede during a sermon by self-proclaimed godman Surajpal Singh, also known as Bhole Baba which resulted in 121 deaths on Tuesday. The arrests occurred after the police announced a Rs 1 lakh bounty on the main suspect, the ‘mukhya sevadar (chief volunteer)’, who was the main organiser of the event. Bhole Baba has not been named in the FIR.

The arrested individuals are Ram Ladete, 50, from Mainpuri; Upendra Singh Yadav, 62, from Firozabad; and Megh Singh, 61, Manju Yadav, 30, Mukesh Kumar, 38, and Manju Devi, 40, all from Hathras. IG of Police (Aligarh Range), Shalabh Mathur, said the investigation is in its preliminary stages and more arrests will follow based on emerging facts. He confirmed that Bhole Baba has not been questioned yet.

It was a tragedy of immense proportions for Vinod Kumar, a mason from Sokhna village in Hathras, who lost his daughter, wife, and mother—all in one stroke—in the stampede that occurred during Surajpal Singh alias Bhole Baba's satsang in Hathras on Tuesday.

Kumar, who is numb with grief, told TOI: “I was out for work when I got a call from my family members saying that my mother, wife and daughter had gone to attend a satsang, about which I was unaware, where a stampede had broken out. I hired a taxi and rushed to the venue with my three sons, all teenagers. There, we were told that the victims had been taken to the hospital, but no one told us which one.”

“We went from hospital to hospital, looking at the faces of dead people, searching for our loved ones but couldn’t find them. Some bodies were sent to Hathras hospital. We went there, and at midnight, we finally found the bodies of my wife, Raj Kumari, and daughter, Bhumi,” recalled Kumar. However, Kumar was yet to find his mother, Jaimanti Devi. Eventually, Jaimanti’s remains were found at the mortuary in Agra.

A recreation of the sequence of events after the stampede by cops based on call record details has revealed that Surajpal Singh, alias Bhole Baba, left the satsang venue in his convoy around 1.40pm as the stampede broke out on Tuesday. It is now widely believed that the stampede happened when several people rushed to collect soil, referred to as ‘Charan Raj’, which had been walked upon by Bhole Baba in the belief that it will bring them good luck.

According to call records accessed by police, Bhole Baba received a call from his main organiser, Dev Prakash Madhukar, at 2.48pm, likely informing him of the tragedy. Madhukar has been named in the FIR, and is currently absconding.

Police on Thursday arrested six organisers of preacher Bhole Baba’s ‘satsang’ in connection with the Hathras stampede that killed 121 people. Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari and Bhole Baba, who is not named in the FIR and is absconding, will be questioned if required, police said.