Hathras Stampede: Eyewitness and Godman Speak Out

A tragic stampede occurred during a religious gathering in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, where 121 people lost their lives. The incident happened when devotees rushed to collect ‘Baba’s Charan Dhul’ (soil from the feet of the godman), leading to chaos and people falling over each other.

Eyewitness Account

Sudhir Pratap Singh from Mughalgarhi village witnessed the event and said, ‘The incident happened after ‘Baba’ announced that devotees should take soil from around his feet. The devotees rushed to collect the soil in a hurry but started falling over and piling up.’ He added that only locals and the administration helped the devotees as ‘Baba’s convoy left the spot amid the stampede.

Godman’s Advocate’s Claim

The godman’s advocate, AP Singh, claimed that the stampede was caused by unidentified men who sprayed poison during the event. He suggested that it was a pre-planned conspiracy and urged the Special Investigation Team to investigate those behind the incident.

Judicial Actions

The Uttar Pradesh Judicial Commission recorded statements from several eyewitnesses. Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused, was sent to 14 days of judicial custody. He claimed to have received permission for the event from the SDM for a gathering of 80,000 people but denied publicizing the event. Madhukar was apprehended on July 5 in the national capital. Two other accused, Ramprakash Shakya and Sanju Yadav, were also arrested.

Godman’s Statement

In a video statement, ‘Bhole Baba’ expressed his grief and condoled the deaths. He assured that those responsible for the chaos would not be spared and urged people to keep faith in the government and administration. Through his lawyer, he requested support for the bereaved families and the injured.