Hathras stampede: 121 killed at satsang; where is ‘Bhole Baba’?

Narayan Saakar Hari alias ‘Bhole Baba’, the preacher at whose satsang more than 120 people died during a stampede in Hathras district on Tuesday, continues to remain at large, the Uttar Pradesh Police said.

Deputy superintendent of police Sunil Kumar said Bhole Baba could not be found after the Uttar Pradesh Police carried out a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district in search of the self-style godman, who held a Satsang in Hathras where a stampede took place.

“We did not find Baba ji inside the campus…He is not here…” said Sunil Kumar.

The stampede took place around 3.30pm when Bhole Baba was leaving the venue.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed district officials to speed up relief work. He also ordered a probe into the incident.

On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against the organisers, but the Bhole Baba was not reportedly named in the FIR.

‘Mukhya sevadar’ Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandara Rao police station late Tuesday, a senior officer told news agency PTI.

Latest updates on the satsang stampede in Hathras:

According to the Office of the Relief Commissioner, the death toll in the Hathras stampede jumped to 121, while 28 people were injured in the tragedy. Hathras chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Manjeet Singh earlier said 32 bodies were brought here, and 19 of them have been identified. “We are identifying the rest of them…” he said.

Aligarh district magistrate Vishak G Iyer said as many as 23 bodies have been brought to Aligarh, and a total of three injured people are receiving treatment, and out of them, one is in critical condition.

The FIR has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence), the officer said.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath vowed a thorough investigation into the incident to determine whether it was an “accident or a conspiracy.” He affirmed that the state government is committed to uncovering the truth behind the Hathras incident.

Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh said overcrowding was one of the reasons behind the stampede. After the ‘satsang’, 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, Manoj Kumar Singh said. The chief secretary visited the stampede site with Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Prashant Kumar.

Prashant Kumar said most of the victims were women and children.

The state government said that Agra’s additional director general of police and Aligarh divisional commissioner are part of a team that will probe the incident. The team has been asked to give its report within 24 hours.

Bhole Baba is a former UP police staffer who worked with the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) for 18 years and took voluntary retirement in 1990, when he was posted in Etah, in order to pursue spirituality. Known for a certain flamboyance, he has a vast following among the lower middle class and the poor in the Etah-Kasganj and the Braj region and some other pockets.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the loss of lives in the stampede in Hathras and wished speedy recovery to the injured. Modi also spoke with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath following the tragedy.

Envoys of several countries, including Germany, France, China and Israel, mourned the loss of lives in the stampede and extended condolences to the victims’ families. External affairs minister S Jaishankar in a post on X said he was deeply distressed by the tragic incident. Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav questioned the government over the preparations when it was aware that there would be a large gathering at an event.