• Hathras stampede update: Toll rises to 121, FIR registered against organisers

    National
    Hathras stampede update: Toll rises to 121, FIR registered against organisers
    The FIR alleges that the organizers misrepresented the number of attendees when seeking permission, failed to cooperate in managing traffic, and tampered with evidence following the stampede.

    Digital Desk: The death toll in the stampede at a religious gathering increased to 121 on Wednesday with Uttar Pradesh Police filing a First Information Report (FIR) against the organizers. They are accused of hiding evidence and violating regulations, as the event drew 250,000 attendees despite permission for only 80,000.

    Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the injured from the stampede at Hathras government hospital and conducted a review meeting with Ministers and Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh. The incident claimed the lives of 121 individuals, leading to the filing of an FIR under sections of the Indian Penal Code against the organizers. This includes Devprakash Madhukar, the main volunteer, along with others who have not been identified yet.

    On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh's chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh initially reported 116 deaths, noting that all but eight of the casualties were women or children. While an FIR has been lodged against the organizers, the name of 'satsang' conductor Jagat Guru Saakar Vishwahari is mentioned in the complaint but not included among the accused.

    The FIR alleges that the organizers misrepresented the number of attendees when seeking permission, failed to cooperate in managing traffic, and tampered with evidence following the stampede. The incident occurred when attendees stopped to collect mud from the path of the baba's vehicle.