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Hathras stampede: Six arrested, ₹1 lakh reward on Bhole Baba’s absconding key aide
No clean chit to anyone, we are looking into Bhole Baba’s past, will question him if required, say police officials in Hathras
The Hathras police on Thursday arrested six members of the organising committee, including two women sevadars (volunteers), in connection with the satsang stampede that claimed 121 lives on July 2, officials said.
A search is on for the main accused Dev Prakash Madhukar named in the FIR lodged in the case, the police added. A reward of ₹1 lakh has been declared on him. Madhukar is said to be a key aide of the self-styled preacher Bhole Baba after whose satsang the stampede took place.
The arrests come a day after chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s visit to Hathras.
Police also said no clean chit has been given to anyone and all those whose names surface during the investigation, including self-styled preacher Bhole Baba, will be questioned, if necessary.
“Six, including two women sevadars (volunteers) from the organising committee, have been arrested and a search is on for the main accused in (connection with the) FIR lodged,” inspector general of police, Aligarh range, Shalabh Mathur said during a press conference in Hathras.
“The incharge of the Samagam (satsang) Dev Prakash Madhukar (Engineer), in whose name permission was sought for the satsang, is absconding after being named in FIR by Hathras police. A reward of ₹1 lakh has been declared on his arrest and NBW (non-bailable warrant) issued. Teams are searching for him,” Mathur said.
The six arrested on Thursday by Sikandra Rau police of Hathras include Ram Ladete (50) from Mainpuri, Upendra Singh Yadav (62) from Firozabad, Megh Singh (61) from Hathras, Manju Yadav (30) from Hathras, Mukesh Kumar (38) from Hathras and Manju Devi (40) from Hathras.
“On interrogation, it was learnt that these arrested are members of organising committee and work as sevadars (volunteers) and were involved in gathering of crowd, collection of donations, barricading, crowd management, electricity arrangements at venue, parking of vehicles and cleanliness. They were given uniform by organisers. These sevadar gave out that they did not allow police and administration to have photo and video of event and even misbehaved when questioned,” Mathur said.
Replying to question on Bhole Baba, IG stated that investigation is on and whosoever is found involved during the course of investigation shall be interrogated and action will be taken accordingly.
“But for now Bhole Baba has not been named in the FIR because permission for the satsang at Hathras was not sought in his name but in the name of absconding main accused Dev Prakash Madhukar. He is named in FIR but is absconding,” Mathur said.
On repeated questions about Bhole Baba, the IG Aligarh stated that police were tracing the past record of Bhole Baba and found that he had taken VRS while he was posted as constable in Agra in the 1990s.
“Police records reveal that a case was registered against the Baba at Shahganj police station of Agra. He was later acquitted. We are actively (looking for) any other FIR registered against Bhole Baba in (any) other part of the country, “ he said.
On the question of negligence by police and lack of arrangements by the district administration, Mathur said no clean chit is given to anyone and all these aspects will be inquired into by the judicial commission.
“Police are also investigating if there was any conspiracy angle behind the incident,” he said.
Mathur alleged that the organisers of the satsang kept the arrangements in their own hands and did not allow the police to handle it.
Nevertheless, the required police, PAC, fire brigade and traffic police personnel were present near the location of the satsang on Tuesday, he said.
“Those arrested said that followers believe that ‘charan raj’ (soil from under feet of Baba) is much revered and believed to relieve all problems. These sevadars run with convoy of Baba and, on Tuesday, had attempted to keep away the followers from Baba. But once the Baba moved away, the followers ran for charan raj and fell over each other. These sevadars moved away as the situation worsened,” Mathur said.
“The sevadars and organisers were found to be negligent while dealing with the crowd after the satsang ended. When things got out of hand, they absconded,” the IG said.
He said 121 were killed during the stampede.
“The dead included two men, 112 women, six children and one infant. All 121 have been identified and include 19 from Hathras, 18 from Agra, 17 from Aligarh, 10 from Etah, six from Badaun, 11 from Mathura, five each from Shahjahanpur and Bulandshahr, 10 from Kasganj, four from Faridabad, two each from Auraiya, Pilibhit and Sambhal, one each from Lalitpur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Firozabad, Lakhimpur, Unnao, Ghaziabad, Gwalior, Morena, Palwal and Deeg,” he said.
“The Prime Minister’s Office has declared compensation of ₹2 lakh to next of kin of each deceased and the same amount of ₹2 lakh has been declared by the U.P. govt. A judicial inquiry has been ordered.”
The FIR 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) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).
The Hathras SP has transferred the investigation to Ram Pravesh Rai, the circle officer (City) ,and will be assisted by Hathras Kotwali police station incharge Vijay Kumar Singh.
Besides, a Special Operation Group has been constituted by ADG Agra Zone to inquire into the role of those linked to satsang, sevadars and office bearers of the organising committee.
The SOG will work under the direction of additional ADG, Agra Zone.
The forensic team and field unit have gathered evidence from spot, said IG.
