New Delhi:
The district official – a sub divisional magistrate – who permitted ‘godman’ Bhole Baba’s ‘prayer meet’ in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, at which a stampede killed 121 people – never inspected the venue, a team investigating the tragedy said in a report submitted to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The SDM reportedly also did not inform his seniors about the event taking place.
The SIT report also said the organisers and local officials, including the police, were negligent and “failed to make adequate arrangements”. They did not take the event “seriously”, it declared.
The fact that the organisers – who have been held “primarily responsible” – involved, or hired, individuals without police verification has been held up as an example of that negligence.
And, in a lapse of protocol, local police did not inform, as soon as they should have, their seniors of the stampede and the deaths, the report said. The probe team also echoed the Chief Minister in suggesting the “possibility of a major conspiracy”, and recommended a more detailed investigation.
The SIT, which includes Additional Director General of Police (Agra Zone) Anupam Kulshrestha and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner Chaitra V, also flagged overcrowding as a cause of the stampede.
In earlier police reports it was said the organisers said they expected 80,000 people at the ‘satsang’, but the final (estimated) headcount was over 2.5 lakh. The cops believe the organisers deliberately underplayed the number, possibly to face fewer restrictions in hosting the event and circumvent additional crowd safety measures; in any case, it appears even those were not ensured.
Other reports indicate this is not the first time a ‘prayer meet’ organised for Bhole Baba, has deceived the authorities about expected attendances; in May 2022, during the COVID pandemic, permission was sought for a rally for 50 in Farrukhabad district but it entertained over 50,000.
SIT Report Into Hathras Stampede
The report is based on statements from 125 people – from eyewitnesses and survivors to police and district officials. In addition, news reports and photographs and video footage were also examined.
Six officials, including the SDM who allowed the ‘satsang’ to take place, have been suspended so far, and nine people, including the main organiser – Devprakash Madhukar – have been arrested.
Those suspended include police personnel and district officials.
Bhole Baba – his real name is Suraj Pal Singh – has not been named as an accused or questioned.
One Entry, One Exit For Crowd Of 2.5 Lakh
Tough questions have been asked of the police and the district officials after the stampede.
This included why there were no safety measures, such as designated entry and exit points.
The police have also said there were no ambulances or medical stations at the site.
READ | In Hathras Stampede, One Entry, One Exit For Crowd Of 2.5 Lakh
Emergency exits and evacuation routes were either not made available or not clearly marked, which added to the chaos once the stampede broke.
Police also accused the organisers of not helping manage pedestrian and vehicular traffic and, crucially, destroying or hiding evidence after the stampede.
In addition, there was no ventilation in tents that housed Bhole Baba’s followers.