Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to visit Hathras on Wednesday, a day after a stampede killed 121 people during a 'Satsang' prayer meeting, newswire PTI reported.
Following the tragic incident, the Uttar Pradesh government has formed a team comprising ADG Agra and the Aligarh Divisional Commissioner to investigate the cause behind the stampede.
An FIR has been filed against Devprakash Madhukar, known as 'Mukhya Sewadar', and other organizers of the 'Satsang' prayer meeting in Hathras district. The case has been registered under sections 105, 110, 126(2), 223, and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
According to the FIR, Suraj Pal, also known as Narayan Hari, Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, or ‘Bhole Baba’, conducted the Satsang near GT Road in Phulrai Mugalgarhi village in Hathras district.
The primary organizer, Madhukar, had obtained permission from the administration for approximately 80,000 attendees, and the administration had made corresponding traffic and safety arrangements based on the request.
However, the FIR read that around 2.5 lakh people gathered at the 'Satsang', causing heavy traffic on the road and halting vehicular movements.
Before the stampede occurred, video footage showed a large gathering under a canopy, where Bhole Baba addressed the audience seated on a throne-like chair. The preacher, who served as a policeman in the 1990s before transitioning to organizing Satsangs, reportedly counts politicians among his followers.
Circle Officer (CO) of Patiyali Vijay Kumar Rana told PTI that Suraj Pal, also known as Bhole Baba, lost one of his three brothers and subsequently established a Trust for his property in Bahadurgarh, where his ashram is situated.
Also Read: Overcrowding, suffocation inside tent, rush for ‘raj’ - What led to stampede at Hathras satsang?
CO further said that Pal and his wife have no children and regularly attend 'Satsang' together. Suraj Pal belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. Since founding his ashram in Bahadur Nagar, Bhole Baba's popularity has soared among the underprivileged, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers, as reported by locals.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the Hathras stampede, Aligarh District Magistrate Vishak G Iyer reported that 23 bodies have been brought to Aligarh, with three injured individuals receiving treatment, one of whom is in critical condition.
BJP MLA Asim Arun engaged with victims and eyewitnesses, noting the formation of a committee chaired by DG Zone Agra to investigate the incident thoroughly. The committee's report is slated for submission to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Adityanath has pledged a comprehensive investigation to ascertain whether the stampede was accidental or resulted from foul play. Concurrently, advocate Gaurav Dwivedi has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Allahabad High Court, urging a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the tragic incident.
(With inputs from agencies)
