Hathras stampede case: First case against Bhole Baba at Patna court over 121 deaths

• Image Credit: Google

• Jul 6, 2024 | Guriya Khatun

Following the stampede, on July 3, the state government established a three-member judicial commission led by a retired high court judge to investigate the tragedy and examine potential underlying conspiracies.

Digital Desk: A case has been filed against Bhole Baba, also known as Suraj Pal Singh, in connection with the Hathras stampede. Today, Baba expressed his distress regarding the incident and appealed to the affected families to trust the judiciary. Meanwhile, Dev Prakash Madhukar, identified as the primary suspect in the July 2 Hathras stampede which resulted in 121 fatalities, was apprehended on Friday night.

Following the stampede, on July 3, the state government established a three-member judicial commission led by a retired high court judge to investigate the tragedy and examine potential underlying conspiracies.

Here's what has occurred so far in the Hathras stampede case:

• Suraj Pal Singh, also known as Bhole Baba, had a case registered against him related to the Hathras stampede, filed in the Patna Chief Judicial Magistrate's court. In a recent video statement, Baba expressed deep sorrow over the July 2 stampede, urging faith in government and administrative actions. He assured through his lawyer, AP Singh, of support for the affected families and the injured.

• Dev Prakash Madhukar, the main accused in the Hathras stampede, was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday night and is scheduled to appear in court on Saturday. Madhukar, described as the 'mukhya sevadar' of the satsang where the stampede occurred, is the sole accused named in the First Information Report (FIR). He is expected to cooperate with the investigation and provide information on the involvement of "anti-social elements" at the event.

• A team from the judicial commission arrived at the Hathras police line on Saturday to receive the probe report concerning the Hathras incident. According to sources within the Hathras police, Madhukar was apprehended near Najafgarh on Friday through technical surveillance and subsequently brought to Hathras, refuting claims of his voluntary surrender.

• In Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received an initial report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the stampede. The report, submitted by ADG Agra Zone, includes accounts from Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar, Superintendent of Police Nipun Aggarwal, and senior health officials who managed the emergency response.

• On Friday, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, met with families of stampede victims in Hathras after earlier visiting those in Aligarh. Gandhi assured the families of his efforts to secure maximum compensation from the Uttar Pradesh government promptly. He also pledged to raise the issue in Parliament to prevent similar incidents in the future.