More than 100 people died in a stampede at a religious event led by a self-styled godman, Bhole Baba, also known as Narayan Saakar Hari, in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Bhole Baba, whose real name is Suraj Pal, is likely to be arrested soon. He is believed to be at his ashram in Mainpuri, about 100 km from the event site near Phulrai village.
Many senior police officers are at the stampede site, while others are at his ashram, Ram Kutir Charitable Trust. The ashram is also filled with his followers. In Hathras, a forensic unit and a dog squad investigated the site. Teams from the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were also present.
At least 121 people, including over 100 women and seven children, were killed, and 28 others were injured in the stampede. The Uttar Pradesh government announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed their condolences to the victims’ families.
How the Hathras Stampede Happened
Officials said the event space was too small for the crowd that gathered. A woman attendee said the stampede began as people started to leave. Followers rushed to collect dust from the godman’s car, triggering the stampede.
The event drew devotees from various districts of Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states. A high-level committee, led by the Additional Director General of Police, Agra, and the Aligarh Commissioner, has been formed to investigate.
A case has been filed against the event organizers. The FIR states that permission was granted for 80,000 people, but over 250,000 attended. Due to the uncontrollable crowd, people were crushed, and organizers did not cooperate with rescue efforts. The organizers face charges under several sections of the new criminal code Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Godman Behind Hathras ‘Satsang’
Narayan Saakar Hari, formerly Suraj Pal, often claimed to have worked with the Intelligence Bureau. Born in Bahadur Nagari village, Etah district, Uttar Pradesh, he was a head constable with the Local Intelligence Unit of the UP police. He left the police in 1999 to pursue spirituality and changed his name to Narayan Saakar Hari. He claims he turned to spirituality while working for the Intelligence Bureau.
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