Hathras Stampede: ‘Satsang’ Organisers Hid Evidence, Flouted Rules By Cramming 2.5 Lakh People In Venue Meant For 80,000; FIR Reveals

The FIR in the Hathras stampede case, registered at Sikandar Rau police station on Tuesday night, has alleged that the organisers hid the actual number of devotees coming to the 'satsang' while seeking permission for the event.

Hathras Stampede: The organisers of the ‘satsang’ in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh, where a stampede broke out on Tuesday, claiming 121 lives– flouted rules and crammed over 2.5 lakh people into a venue which is only meant to house around 80,000, an FIR filed by the police said Wednesday.

In the FIR, the Uttar Pradesh Police have named Devprakash Madhukar, referred to as ‘Mukhya Sewadar’ and other organisers of the ‘Satsang’ as the accused, and alleged that they hid evidence and flouted conditions by packing the event venue with three times of its permitted capacity.

‘Mukhya sevadar’ Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandar Rau police station late Tuesday, a senior official told news agency PTI.

Organisers hid evidence

The FIR in the case, registered at Sikandar Rau police station on Tuesday night, has alleged that the organisers hid the actual number of devotees coming to the ‘satsang’ while seeking permission, did not cooperate in traffic management and hid evidence after the incident.

The organisers  tried to hide the actual number of people coming to the event by hiding evidence and throwing slippers and other belongings of the devotees in nearby fields, the FIR alleged.

The FIR apparently gave a clean chit to the police and administration, saying they did whatever possible from the available resources. It said the police and administration officials did everything possible and sent the injured from the available resources to hospitals but the organisers and ‘sevadars’ did not cooperate.

The FIR has been registered 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), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence), the official said.

The organisers sought permission for about 80,000 people for which police and administration made arrangements. However, over 2.5 lakh people gathered, it said.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the stampede rose to 121 on Wednesday as five more people who were injured in the incident succumbed during medical treatment.

People ran after Godman’s car to collect ‘Charan Dhull’

On Tuesday, a stampede broke out at a ‘satsang’ by self-styled Godman Bhole Baba in Phulrai village of Hathras district, which snuffed out 116 lives, most of them women, on the day itself. According to eyewitness accounts, the stampede broke out at around 3.30 pm when people ran after preacher’s car to collect ‘Charan Dhull’ (dust of feet), as the Baba started to leave the venue.

Reports said the people slipped in the slush as they scrammed after the Godman’s car, leading to a stampede which left 121 people dead.

“There was a Satsang of Bhole Baba going on. Right after the Satsang finished, several people started coming out from there. A stampede took place as the road was uneven and people fell on each other,” said an eyewitness who survived the stampede.

Bhole Baba remains elusive

Police have also launched searches at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district as they hunt for Narayan Saakar Hari, popularly known as Bhole Baba, the preacher of the ‘satsang’ in Hathras where the stampede occurred.

However, the preacher was not found at the premises and remains untraceable, the police said. “We did not find Baba ji inside the campus. He is not here,” Deputy SP Sunil Kumar said earlier.

Notably, the Baba’s name, which is in the original complaint, is not listed among the accused in the FIR which stated that the Godman, who was the main speaker of the satsang, came out at about 2 pm in his vehicle and devotees starting collecting mud from there.

Due to the heavy rush of devotees, those lying down (for taking the mud) started getting trampled. Some running away from the spot were stopped by the Baba’s stick-wielding helpers standing on the other side of a three-feet deep field filled with water and slush due to which women, children and men got crushed, it said.

CM Yogi order judicial probe

Earlier today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met those injured in the stampede and ordered a judicial probe into the Hathras stampede. He assured that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be drafted and put in place to prevent such incidents from taking place in the future.

The chief minister said retired administration and police officials will also be part of the judicial inquiry to probe the Hathras stampede and the committee will find who is responsible for the tragedy, or whether it was a conspiracy.

Adityanath also asserted that his government will ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future and SOPs may be put in place to guide the organisation of such events.

“We will ensure such incidents do not occur in the future,” he said, adding the government may put in place a Standard Operating Procedure which will guide organisation of such events in the future. “We will ensure this.”

“The chief minister held a meeting with officials in the circuit house and met the injured in district hospitals,” a government official said.

A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident. The report is likely to be submitted on Wednesday.

According to the Office of the Relief Commissioner, the number of people injured stands at 28. Only four of the 121 bodies remained to be identified.

(With inputs from agencies)