Hathras stampede ’created by anti-social elements’: Bhole Baba says ’satsang’ tragedy occurred after he left

After 121 of his devotees were killed in a stampede, Bhole Baba, the self-styled Godman Narayan Sakar Hari, issued a statement on Wednesday saying that the chaos erupted after he left the 'satsang' venue in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. The godman also blamed 'anti-social elements' for the occurrence of stampede.

In an official statement issued by Bhole Baba, the Godman expressed his "deepest condolences" to the family of those killed in the stampede, while also hoping for a speedy recovery of the injured.

“I/we also authorised Dr AP Singh Ji, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court to take further legal action in regard of stamped create by some anti-social elements after over of Samagam/Satsang I left for the Samagam a long time ago on 02-07-2024 at Vill. Fulari, Sikandrarau, Hathras, UP,” his letter, as reported by India Today, read.

However, LiveMint could not independently verify the letter.

Bhole Baba’s name missing as ‘main accused’ in FIR

In the first information report (FIR) the Uttar Pradesh Police registered against the organisers of the religious congregation in the Hathras, but Bhole Baba has not been named as an accused.

'Mukhya sevadar' (main organizer) Devprakash Madhukar and other organizers have been named in the FIR lodged at the Sikandara Rao police station, a senior officer told news agency PTI.

After the conclusion of the gathering, the uncontrollable crowd exiting the venue resulted in people seated on the ground being crushed, as per the FIR.

Organizers allegedly used sticks to try and restrain the crowd in water and mud-filled fields, exacerbating the situation and causing casualties among women, children, and men.

The FIR also stated that despite efforts from police and administrative officials, who utilized available resources to transport the injured to hospitals, the organizers did not cooperate.

‘Overcrowded venue’

Despite the permission for only 80,000 people, about 2,50,000 devotees were gathered at the ‘satsang’ venue, according to an initial police report.

Most of the deaths resulted from suffocation, said doctors at a district hospital treating several victims.