Suraj Pal ‘Bhole Baba’ Speaks on Hathras Stampede Tragedy
Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 6: Suraj Pal Singh, also known as ‘Bhole Baba’ or Narayan Sakar Hari, expressed his sorrow over the Hathras stampede that resulted in the deaths of 121 people, mostly women and children. The incident occurred during a ‘Satsang’ in Fulari village, Hathras district.
In a video statement, Suraj Pal said, “I am deeply saddened by the incident of July 2. May God give us the strength to bear this pain. Please keep faith in the government and the administration. I have faith that those who created the chaos will not be spared.” He also mentioned that through his lawyer AP Singh, he has requested committee members to support the bereaved families and the injured.
According to the police FIR, around 250,000 people had gathered despite permission being given for only 80,000. The main accused, Devprakash Madhukar, surrendered to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Special Task Force (STF), and Uttar Pradesh police. His lawyer, AP Singh, confirmed the surrender and emphasized that Madhukar’s health should be taken care of as he is a heart patient.
AP Singh stated, “It was my promise that we will not use any anticipatory bail, will not file any application and will not go to any court, because what have we done? What is our crime? We told you that we would surrender Dev Prakash Madhukar, take him in front of the police, interrogate him, participate in the investigation, and take part in the inquiry.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met with the families of the victims in Hathras and also stopped in Aligarh to meet with other affected families. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission, led by Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, has been formed to investigate the incident. The commission will submit its report to the State Government within two months. Initial reports suggest the stampede occurred when devotees rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher’s feet but were stopped by security personnel, leading to chaos.
