Page 2 - Stampede

Hathras stampede: Main accused fled to Delhi after incident, now in custody

Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused in the July 2 Hathras stampede that claimed 121 lives, had fled to Delhi after the deadly episode before Uttar Pradesh Police got him into its custody late last night, officials said. Madhukar's lawyer A P Singh late Friday night claimed his client had surrendered to the police in Delhi. A police official told PTI that Madhukar was picked up by a Special Operations Group (SOG) team of Hathras police. "He was taken into custody from Delhi, near Najafgarh area," another police officer in Hathras said, requesting anonymity. However, police are yet to officially announce the arrest of Madhukar, the 'mukhya sevadar' 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. In a video message, Madhukar's lawyer A P Singh claimed that his client had surrendered in Delhi, where he was undergoing treatment. "Today, we have surrendered Devpraka

Hathras stampede: 'Those responsible will not be spared', says Bhole Baba

Surajpal Singh, also known as 'Bhole Baba', said he has asked his committee to extend help to those who were injured in the Hathras stampede

Hathras stampede: Main suspect Madhukar surrenders, says Advocate AP Singh

Union Minister Nityanand Rai on Friday said the Central government has extended cooperation to the Uttar Pradesh government in the investigation into the stampede in Hathras

Hathras stampede: Hunt for key accused launched, inter-state searches on

While Madhukar, the 'mukhya sevadar' (chief organiser of the satsang), is the only named accused in the FIR, Surajpal was not mentioned as accused

Hathras stampede occurred after Baba said 'mere charno ki dhool lo': Locals

Hathras stampede updates: As many as 121 people, mostly women, died in the stampede that occurred in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday during a satsang event organised by Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba

From 24 ashrams to luxury cars, Bhole Baba possesses Rs 100 crore in assets

Preacher 'Bhole Baba', identified as Suraj Pal, resides in the Mainpuri Ashram in Bichuva, an extensive property covering 21 bighas of land, known as Hari Nagar

Rahul Gandhi leaves for Hathras to meet stampede-affected families today

An FIR has been registered on the incident naming organizers of the prayer meeting but 'Bhole Baba' has not been named yet

6 held in connection with Hathras stampede which claimed 121 lives: Police

The organisers of the event had taken permission for a gathering of only 80,000 people, an initial police report said

UP to have SOPs for gatherings to prevent Hathras-like tragedies: Min

A day after a stampede in Hathras claimed 121 lives, Uttar Pradesh minister Asim Arun on Wednesday said the state government has started work on SOPs for granting permission for large gatherings to prevent such incidents in future. He said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed officials to prepare the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and permission for events would be granted only if the "basic, minimum" conditions for amenities are met. Arun, the minister of state for social welfare, is part of a three-minister committee formed by Adityanath for supervising the relief measures in the aftermath of the stampede. Explaining how the tragedy unfolded, he said, "It appears sevadars (volunteers) who were managing things inside did something wrong in terms of crowd management and that is another lesson learnt." "We should not leave it to sevadars or volunteers. They do a great job, of course, but the police and magistrates are more experienced," he said. So, the chief ministe

From cop to controversial guru: Unfolding the legacy of 'Bhole Baba'

The stampede occurred during a satsang (prayer meeting) organised by self-styled godman Bhole Baba, also known as Narayan Saakar Hari

Hathras stampede: SDM report cites shoving by security, 'slippery slope'

Chaos caused after Narayan Sakaar Hari's followers, who tried to reach near his vehicle to seek "darshan", were pushed by the godman's security and a "slippery slope" resulted in the stampede that killed 121 people in Hathras, a preliminary report of the SDM said. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sikandra Rao submitted the preliminary report on the stampede to the district magistrate (DM). The SDM, who gave permission for the 'satsang' (religious congregation), was also present at the venue when the incident occurred, according to the report. "A crowd of more than 2 lakh people was present in the satsang pandal. Shri Narayan Sakar Hari (Bhole Baba) reached the satsang pandal at about 12.30 pm and the program went on for 1 hour. "After this, at about 1.40 pm, Shri Narayan Sakaar Hari (Bhole Baba) came out of the pandal to go towards Etah on National Highway-91," the preliminary report said, adding that when the godman was leaving the venue, his followers started running towards him f

Hathras tragedy: A look at the deadliest stampedes in India over the years

Recent stampedes in India have occurred due to a combination of factors, like high turnout at religious, or other social events, poor crowd management and poorly managed venues and infrastructure

Hathras stampede: Plea filed in SC to probe incident by expert committee

The plea sought direction from the committee to suggest and frame guidelines and safety measures to avoid such incidents in a large number of public gatherings

Hathras stampede: Autopsies rise, show most deaths caused by asphyxia

Asphyxia due to compression was the leading cause of death among the victims of the Hathras stampede who were brought to the district hospital in neighbouring Etah on Tuesday, a senior doctor said. The hospital performed four times the usual number of autopsies in a day in the aftermath of the stampede, he said. As many as 27 bodies were brought to the mortuary of the district hospital here after the stampede at Hathras' Phulrai village on Tuesday. The overall toll stood at 121 and bodies were taken to various hospitals in nearby areas including Etah and Aligarh. "Of the 27 bodies brought here, the post-mortem of 19 was concluded while the mortuary staff prepared for the 20th autopsy around midnight," Etah's Additional Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ram Mohan Tiwari told PTI. Six bodies remained to be identified, he said. "Asphyxia due to compression was found to be the cause of death in almost all the cases," Tiwari said, adding a majority of the victims were women in the 40-50 age ..

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

The death toll in the stampede at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras has risen to 121, a senior official said on Wednesday. According to the Office of the Relief Commissioner, the number of people injured in Tuesday's incident stands at 28. Of the total fatalities, 19 are yet to be identified, it said. The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation. On Tuesday Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh put the death toll at 116. Barring seven children and a man, all the casualties were women. The victims were part of the crowd of thousands that had gathered near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area for the 'satsang' by religious preacher Bhole Baba. The stampede took place at around 3.30 pm when Baba was leaving the venue.

Hathras stampede: FIR says organisers flouted conditions, hid evidence

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday lodged an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation in Hathras where 121 people died in a stampede, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people gathering for the event in which only 80,000 were permitted. However, the congregation or 'satsang' conductor Jagat Guru Saakar Vishwahari has not been named in the FIR though his name is in the complaint. The FIR alleged that the organisers hid the actual number of devotees coming to the 'satsang' while seeking permission, did not cooperate in traffic management and hid evidence after the stampede, which broke out after people gathered there stopped to collect mud from the way the baba's vehicle was passing. The FIR apparently gave a clean chit to the police and administration, saying they did whatever possible from the available resources. 'Mukhya sevadar' Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) fil

Hathras stampede: UP religious gathering claims 121 lives; Latest updates

The stampede at an event in Hathras by Suraj Pal, known as 'Bhole Baba', caused devastating suffocation and a pile-up of bodies, marking it as one of the most severe tragedies in recent years

UP stampede: CM Adityanath to visit Hathras today, to assess situation

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to visit Hathras on Wednesday where a stampede at a religious congregation killed 116 people, a senior government official said. The official said the chief minister is taking stock of the situation round the clock. Meanwhile, UP Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and DGP Prashant Kumar have reached the spot. A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident. The report is to be submitted within 24 hours, the government said in a statement. Adityanath is holding a meeting with senior officials at his residence here, it said. Later, the government said that three ministers -- Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, Asim Arun and Sandeep Singh -- have been sent to the spot. Speaking to reporters at his residence, Adityanath said, "Our government will get to the bottom of this incident and give appropriate punishment to the conspirators and those responsible. The sta

Overcrowding one reason behind Hathras stampede: UP chief secretary

Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh on Tuesday said overcrowding was one of the reasons behind the stampede at a religious congregation in Phulrai village here which claimed at least 116 lives. After the 'satsang' on Tuesday, devotees were running after the vehicle of Baba Narayan Hari, who is also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba and had organised the event, while some bent down to collect soil from the venue and fell, Singh said. The chief secretary visited the stampede site with Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar. "This incident is very sad and heart-wrenching. The chief minister is monitoring each and every development. Our first priority is to ensure that the injured get proper treatment," Singh told reporters. Later, speaking to PTI, the chief secretary said, "Overcrowding is one of the reasons (behind the stampede). There was a race among people who were running after his (Bhole Baba's) vehicle. It has also been learnt that people

Hathras tragedy: Stampede at religious event kills 116, most victims women

The stampede took place as people headed home after a 'satsang' in the district's Phulrai village, conducted by a preacher known as Bhole Baba