Hathras Stampede Main Accused Devprakash Madhukar Surrenders In Delhi, Claims His Lawyer

Earlier the Uttar Pradesh Police had put up a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Devprakash Madhukar. He is the sole accused mentioned in the FIR at Sikandra Rao police station.

Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused in the July 2 Hathras stampede which claimed 121 lives, has surrendered and been taken into custody by Uttar Pradesh Police. Madhukar, identified as the ‘mukhya sevadar’ of the ‘satsang’ where the tragedy unfolded, is the sole accused mentioned in the FIR at Sikandra Rao police station. His lawyer, A P Singh, confirmed Madhukar’s surrender in Delhi, where he was receiving medical treatment. “Today, we have surrendered Devprakash Madhukar, who has been called the main organiser in the FIR in the Hathras case, after calling the police, the SIT and the STF in Delhi since he was undergoing treatment here,” Singh said.

“We had promised we would not apply for anticipatory bail since we did no wrong. What is our crime? He is an engineer and a heart patient. Doctors said his condition is stable now and so we surrendered today to join the probe,” the lawyer told PTI.

Singh said police may now record his statement or question him but they must take into consideration his health condition and ensure that “nothing wrong happens with him”.

“We did not do anything like filing anticipatory bail or moving court which would have been viewed as an effort to save ourselves and being scared… questions were being raised about his (Madhukar) whereabouts and if he had run away,” he claimed.

Madhukar will join the probe and share information about the “anti-social elements” at the event, he added.

UP Police Offers Reward for Madhukar’s Arrest

Uttar Pradesh Police had put up a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Madhukar. The Supreme Court lawyer, who also represents Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba, the self-styled godman at whose ‘satsang’ the stampede took place, mentioned that some ‘anti-social elements’ were involved in the tragic incident. Surajpal expressed willingness to cooperate with the authorities and requested a thorough investigation into the matter.

As of now, six individuals, including two female volunteers from the organizing committee of Bhole Baba’s ‘satsang’, have been apprehended in connection with the case.

An FIR was filed on July 2 under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide, attempt to commit culpable homicide, wrongful restraint, disobedience to public servant’s order, and causing disappearance of evidence.

The Uttar Pradesh government has established a three-member judicial commission, led by a retired high court judge, to investigate the Hathras tragedy and explore any potential conspiracy related to the stampede.