Bhole Baba, the self-styled godman, whose 'satsang' killed 121 people in a stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras said he was ready to cooperate in the investigation into the incident after the police searched his ashram in Mainpuri late on Thursday.
Lawyer representing Bhole Baba, AP Singh said that the latter is ready to cooperate with the state administration and the police probing Tuesday's stampede and has demanded an investigation into the entire matter, reported PTI.
Singh also refuted the claim that the stampede was caused when Bhole Baba's followers rushed to collect the soil touched by his feet, as per the preliminary report, and claimed that "anti-social elements" were behind the tragedy.
As per the preliminary reports, the stampede took place when a large number of his followers, mostly women, rushed towards Baba Narayan Hari alias Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba when he was leaving to get a closer glimpse of the preacher and collect his "charan raj".
"Some anti-social elements hatched a conspiracy. When Narayan Saakar Hari left the venue, his vehicles left, our volunteers and followers failed to understand what was happening due to the conspiracy. This was done as per a plan and should be investigated," lawyer A P Singh told the news agency.
Reacting to the claims made in the FIR and a preliminary report by the local sub-divisional magistrate, the Supreme Court lawyer denied the charges. "Narayan Saakar Hari never lets followers touch his feet. The mention of the 'charan raj' is also false. There is no video or picture of such an act," Singh said.
He also added that he represented the self-styled godman and the key organiser of the 'satsang' held in Phulrai village in the Sikandar Rau police station area. The preacher has not been named as an accused in the FIR booked in connection with the stampede.