Details of the Incident:
On Tuesday, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh stated that action would be taken against the preacher Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari, also known as Bhole Baba. However, the FIR registered after the stampede does not mention him by name.
The stampede in Hathras resulted in the deaths of 121 people and left many others injured. The FIR, filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, names the event organizers, including the main volunteer Devprakash Madhukar, and several unidentified individuals. The organizers had received permission for a gathering of 80,000 people but failed to disclose that a similar event had previously attracted hundreds of thousands. They are also accused of fabricating evidence.
What Happened:
On Wednesday, the death toll rose from 116 to 121. The stampede occurred during a satsang (spiritual gathering) hosted by the local preacher Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari, also known as Bhole Baba. Thousands more people than expected attended the event, leading to chaos. Many fell on the uneven ground while trying to collect soil that the preacher had walked on. The healthcare facilities struggled to handle the large number of dead and injured.
Who is ‘Bhole Baba’?
Bhole Baba, originally named Suraj Pal Singh, is a self-proclaimed preacher. Before adopting his new identity, he was a constable with the Uttar Pradesh police. Singh, 58, comes from a Dalit family in Bahadur Nagar village, Kasganj district, about 65 km from Hathras where the stampede happened.
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