In a significant development in the Hathras stampede case, police have arrested six sevadars, including two women, associated with the organizing committee. Additionally, a reward of one lakh rupees has been announced for the arrest of the main organizer, identified as Dev Prakash Madhukar.
Aligarh range IG Shalabh Mathur said that SOG teams have been deployed across all districts at the zone level to identify and apprehend the remaining accused. Evidence collected from the scene is being incorporated into the ongoing investigation.
The arrested sevadars (volunteers) are: Ram Ladate, Upendra Singh Yadav, Megha Singh, Mukesh Kumar, all male and two women are Manju Yadav, and Manju Devi. Four of them are residents of Hthras and the rest are residents of Mainpuri.
These individuals help the Satsang committee by managing crowds and collecting donations. They provided different uniforms for the event.
The arrested sevadars revealed that many devotees believe touching the feet of Baba brings relief from troubles. They said Baba's followers believe that his Chranraj (soil on which Baba has walked) can solve many problems.
Mathur said that sevadars have revealed that the stampede occurred when a crowd surged towards Baba's vehicle to collect Charanraj, but the sevadars intervened, causing chaos. Women and children were trampled in the confusion.
He said these sevadars often obstructed police from taking photos and videos of the event and were known for their aggressive behavior towards law enforcement.
IG Mathur announced that a reward of ₹ 1 lakh and a non-bailable warrant (NBW) will be issued for key accused Devprakash Madhukar, who is named in the FIR.
The police have not yet questioned Bhole Baba. "We will make arrests based on what the investigation reveals... We will question the baba if necessary. It is too early to say or comment whether he has a role. He has not been named in the FIR, which has held the organizers responsible. The permission was taken by the organizing committee, and members of the panel have been arrested," said IG Mathur.
Madhukar and other organisers have been named as the accused in the FIR filed at the Sikandrarau police station. The preacher, known as Jagat Guru Saakar Vishwahari Bhole Baba, is not currently on the list of accused.
The IG confirmed that the death toll stands at 121, with all bodies identified and post-mortems completed. A case has been registered under Sections 105, 110, 126(2), 223, and 238 of the BNS.
The tragic event, which took place in Hathras, resulted in the deaths of 121 people, predominantly women, amid a crowd of 250,000 devotees.
The state government has established a three-member judicial commission, led by a retired high court judge, to investigate the tragedy and explore the possibility of a conspiracy behind the stampede. The commission is expected to submit its report within two months.
Baba’s lawyer in Aligarh
Bhole Baba's lawyer, AP Singh, has reached Aligarh to meet the injured and stated that Baba has no ashram and lives off his pension. He assured that Baba would cooperate with the investigation when called upon.
The self-styled godman, in his early 60s, has not appeared in public since the incident. Bhole Baba issued a statement through his lawyer, claiming that anti-social elements caused the stampede after he left the gathering. He expressed his wishes for the injured to recover and announced plans for legal action against those responsible.
