UP Governor Anandiben Patel Orders Inquiry into Hathras Stampede Tragedy

In response to the tragic stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, which claimed 121 lives, Governor Anandiben Patel has established a three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission. The commission is chaired by Justice (Retd.) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, with Hemant Rao (Retd., IAS) and Bhavesh Kumar Singh (Retd., IPS) as members.

The commission will investigate the incident over the next two months and submit a report to the state government. They will examine if the event organizers complied with permissions and conditions set by the District Administration, and whether the incident was an accident, conspiracy, or planned criminal act. Additionally, the commission will review crowd control measures and law enforcement arrangements.

The stampede occurred when devotees rushed to seek blessings from preacher ‘Bhole Baba’ (Suraj Pal), also known as Narayan Sakar Hari and Jagat Guru Vishwahari, at a religious congregation. The chaos ensued as security personnel tried to manage the crowd, leading to people falling and being trampled.

An FIR has been lodged against Devprakash Madhukar, the ‘Mukhya Sewadar’, and other organizers of the event. The preacher ‘Bhole Baba’ is currently untraceable and has not been named in the FIR. The Uttar Pradesh police have initiated a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district.