121 families have still been reeling under the impact of the stampede in Hathras on Tuesday where their loved ones died. But all of them have united in two demands – a swift probe, and action against Bhole Baba aka Suraj Pal Singh who organised the ‘satsang’ where the stampede occurred. After arresting several accused in the case, police have uncovered that Bhole Baba’s organisation had been getting funding from several political parties.
Hathras Superintendent of Police, Nipun Agarwal, today revealed that the main accused Devprakash Madhukar had recently been in contact with several political parties. This has prompted investigations into potential political conspiracies surrounding the incident. Madhukar was known to manage fundraising activities for events organized by the self-styled godman.
Mr Agarwal emphasized that financial transactions, money trails, and call records associated with Madhukar are currently under scrutiny. The police are also planning to seek his remand for further questioning.
An initial probe into the stampede had revealed that the godman had received permission to host an event for 80,000 people, but 2.5 lakh people were allowed to enter the venue. After the gathering, when the ‘godman’ was leaving, there was a rush among his followers to collect dust stirred up by his car’s tyres. According to officials, the godman’s private security guards started pushing his followers and some people fell and were trampled. In the chaos, many others fled towards the open field and slipped, and others ran over them. Many of those killed in the stampede were women and children.
According to eyewitnesses, only about 40 police personnel were on duty to ensure safety at this massive gathering and they were overwhelmed when the stampede broke out.
Madhukar was the ‘mukhya sevadar’ (chief of security) of the ‘satsang’ where the stampede occurred. He is the only accused named in the FIR lodged at Sikandra Rao police station in Hathras in connection with the incident, and Suraj Pal Singh hasn’t been named.
Initially, Madhukar’s lawyer, AP Singh, had asserted that his client had voluntarily surrendered to the Delhi police for medical treatment. However, Hathras police said they arrested Madhukar through technical surveillance, offering a reward of one lakh rupees for information leading to his arrest.
On Saturday afternoon, amidst tight security arrangements, Madhukar was brought to the Bagla Combined District Hospital in Hathras for a medical examination. He appeared with his face covered by a handkerchief and a stole wrapped around his head.
A three-member judicial commission team has arrived in Hathras to investigate administrative lapses that may have contributed to the tragedy. Statements from multiple officials have been recorded, and the team visited the site of the incident to gather further evidence.
Authorities plan to delve deeper into Madhukar’s association with Bhole Baba’s trust, scrutinizing funding sources and bank accounts. They intend to collaborate with other agencies to probe potential political links to the case. Should it be deemed necessary, a summons may also be issued to Bhole Baba for questioning.
“We are conducting a thorough investigation into Madhukar’s background and his role in the incident,” stated SP Nipun Agarwal.
“If any political is found to be associated with (Bhole Baba’s) organisation, we will take action against them,” he added.
Asked if the self-styled godman may be arrested, state police chief Prashant Kumar said, “Right now, everything is a matter of investigation. We do not want to influence the investigation by drawing any immediate conclusion. The ambit of the investigation is open. Action will be taken based on the facts that come to light during the investigation.”
