Union Minister SP Singh Baghel Meets Hathras Stampede Victims’ Families in Agra

Union Minister SP Singh Baghel visited the families of the victims of the Hathras stampede in Agra. He reported that 17 people, including 16 women and one man, lost their lives in the incident. Baghel expressed his condolences to the families.

Earlier, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mainpuri Sunil Kumar stated that the preacher ‘Bhole Baba’ was not found inside his ashram. The tragic stampede, which claimed 121 lives, prompted Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel to form a three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission. The commission, led by Justice (Retd.) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, will investigate the incident over the next two months.

The preacher ‘Bhole Baba’, also known as Suraj Pal, Narayan Sakar Hari, and Jagat Guru Vishwahari, is currently untraceable. The stampede occurred when devotees rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher’s feet, leading to chaos. An FIR has been lodged against Devprakash Madhukar, the ‘Mukhya Sewadar’, and other organizers of the event. The Uttar Pradesh police have launched a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district.