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

A case that has shook the entire words, a case in which carelessness led to death of 121 people, Hathras ...

A case that has shook the entire words, a case in which carelessness led to death of 121 people, Hathras Stampede case. A peaceful religious gathering in Hathras has turned into a tragic accident.

Devotees from all over Uttar Pradesh and nearby states had come together for the religious event when a deadly stampede claimed the lives of 121 people.

Many bodies were lying on blocks of ice inside a government hospital, while the crying relatives of the victims waited outside to take the bodies home. And now in the recent development in the case 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.

With this, the police have also announced a ₹1 lakh bounty on the arrest of the main accused, identified as Prakash Madhukar who was the chief Sewadar.

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The main reason of the stampede was overcrowding, and security lapse on the part of the organisers Authorities have indicated that heat and suffocation inside the tent may have contributed to the stampede at the event. Infact, Initial reports suggested organizers had permission for 5,000 attendees, yet more than 15,000 people ultimately arrived.

Irrespective of all these allegation, Self-styled godman Suraj Pal, also known as Narayan Sarkar Hari and Bhole Baba, blamed “anti-social elements” for the stampede at his gathering in Hathras district and this statement, came shortly after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a judicial probe into the incident and did not rule out the possibility of a “conspiracy”.

Asked why the religious preacher has not been named in the FIR as an accused, Adityanath said, “Prima facie, the case has been filed against those who had applied for permission for the event. Whoever is responsible for this will come under its purview.” The sewadars were managing the internal cordon and fled when stampede happened and people died. The organisers will be questioned in due course… We will take strict action, and teams have been formed to take up action in nearby districts in coming time.

An FIR is filed by the Hathras police on their own includes several serious charges under the newly enforced Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing inconvenience or danger on roads or open places, voluntary obstruction, disobeying orders from public servants, and causing the disappearance of evidence.