Hathras stampede: 6 arrested; ₹1 lakh bounty on main accused, says UP Police

Hathras stampede: The Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday said that six people have been arrested so far, including two females and four males.

The Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday said that six people have been arrested so far, including two females and four males, in connection with the tragic Hathras stampede which claimed the lives of 121 people. The arrested persons are ‘Sevadars’ (Satsang volunteers), the police said.

Hathras stampede: Inspector General (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur said temporary permission was sought and given for the ‘satsang’ at the venue in a Hathras village (HT Photo)(HT_PRINT)

The police have also announced a ₹1 lakh bounty on the arrest of the main accused, identified as Prakash Madhukar.

“When the stampede occurred the six servitors who are now arrested had run away from the site. ₹1 lakh reward is being announced on the arrest of the main accused Prakash Madhukar. Soon, a non-bailable warrant will be issued against him. We will also investigate if this incident occurred due to a conspiracy,” IG (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur said during a press conference.

According to Mathur, the organisers of the religious event did not allow police as they made the arrangements themselves.

“We have issued a non-bailable warrant against the accused persons…The Satsang volunteers were found to be negligent and lacking in approach while dealing the crowd after the Satsang ended. As things got out of hand, they absconded…We are also investigating if there was any angle of conspiracy behind the incident,” Mathur said.

The horrific incident took place on Tuesday when thousands of people gathered at a specially laid tent in the Rati Bhanpur village in the Sikandra Rau area of Hathras district for a ‘Satsang’, a religious event organised by a religious preacher, Bhole Baba. According to the police, massive overcrowding, insufficient exits, bad weather, and other factors may have contributed to the high death toll.

On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh police lodged an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people gathering for the event in which only 80,000 were permitted. However, Bhole Baba, the man behind the 'Satsang' that led to the stampede, has not been named in the FIR.

According to IG Mathur, Bhole Baba's name is not mentioned in the FIR because permission for the religious event was not sought in his name.

“However, Bhole Baba will be interrogated if required, but it all depends on the course of the investigation…We are also probing reports of his criminal past,” the police said.