Hathras stampede: FIR names chief volunteer, but leaves out ‘Bhole Baba’

HATHRAS: UP police on Wednesday registered an FIR in the Hathras stampede tragedy, naming ‘mukhya sevadar’ (chief volunteer) Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers of the religious congregation, but not mentioning the central conductor of the event, ‘Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba’, formerly known as Surajpal Singh.
The FIR stated that the organisers “underreported the number of expected attendees, did not cooperate in managing traffic, and concealed evidence after the stampede, which occurred when people stopped to collect soil from the path of the baba’s vehicle.” The FIR indicated that the police and administration did everything possible with available resources.
Filed at the Sikandra Rau police station, the FIR cited sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including “culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, wrongful restraint, disobedience to a public servant’s order, and causing the disappearance of evidence.”
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Sub-inspector Brijesh Pandey, the complainant, said Madhukar and others organised the ‘satsang’ held between Fulrai and Mugalgarhi villages on G T Road in Sikandra Rau. They sought permission for about 80,000 attendees, but over 2.5 lakh people converged for the event, leading to severe traffic jams. Video clips circulating on social media platforms showed a large crowd listening to the baba seated on a throne.
Eyewitnesses said that after the satsang, many devotees rushed to the exit while others moved in the opposite direction to collect soil, causing a deadly crowd build-up. “On the other side of the road, the crowd running in the field filled with ‘keechad’ (sludge) behind the baba’s car was forcibly stopped by the organising committee with sticks, increasing the pressure and resulting in people being crushed,” the FIR stated.
Despite the chaos, police and administration officials managed to transport the injured to hospitals using all resources available, the FIR said, adding that the organisers and volunteers did not cooperate.
When asked about potential arrests, UP chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh said, “The ambit of the investigation is open.”
“Right now, everything is a matter of investigation,” the chief secretary added. “We do not want to influence the investigation by drawing any immediate conclusion. Action will be taken based on the facts that come to light during the probe.”