Lucknow: In the aftermath of the tragic stampede at Baba Bhole’s satsang, an investigation has uncovered that 20 calls were made to Baba, also known as Suraj Pal, from five different numbers immediately following the incident.
The main organizer and his five associates informed Baba of every detail of the incident, and it is believed that they went underground on Baba's instructions.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) teams of the police have intensified their efforts to arrest the main organizer and his associates since July 2, when the incident took place. By tracing their mobile numbers to locate them, authorities discovered that five numbers, including the main organizer's, made 20 consecutive calls to a single number right after the accident. All five numbers were subsequently switched off.
Sources revealed that Dev Prakash Madhukar had informed Bhole Baba about the stampede. Call records show that a call was made to Baba's phone from Madhukar's number at 2:48 PM on Tuesday afternoon, with the conversation lasting 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Subsequent phone activity places Baba at his Mainpuri Ashram from 3 PM to 4:35 PM, during which he communicated with other organizing committee members.
The first number, 78XXXXXX40, belonged to Mahesh Chandra. Baba conversed on this number for 3 minutes. The second number, 88XXXXXX68, belonged to Sanju Yadav, with whom Baba spoke for only 40 seconds. The third number, 70XXXXXX84, was registered to Ranjana, on which Baba had an extended conversation lasting 11 minutes and 33 seconds.
Notably, Ranjana is the wife of Dev Prakash, the event organizer. It is likely that Dev Prakash himself used this phone to communicate with Baba. The other two numbers are also linked to the organizing committee, with Mahesh Chandra being a close associate of Baba. Following these calls, Baba Bhole's mobile phone was switched off at 4:35 PM.
Investigations confirmed that the number called belonged to Baba. It is suspected that these individuals provided Baba with a complete account of the situation. Baba is believed to have advised them on hiding places and possibly instructed them on whom to avoid being caught. However, these suspicions can only be confirmed after their arrest.
Inspector General (IG) Shalabh Mathur stated that the investigation is expanding, and actions are being taken based on emerging facts. He confirmed that Bhole Baba would be questioned if his involvement is established.
During a media briefing, IG Mathur emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, and a case has been registered against a named accused who is currently absconding. A reward has been announced for information leading to his capture. As new names surface in the investigation, those individuals are being questioned and arrests are being made. If evidence points to Baba’s involvement, he will also be questioned.
