In a significant development in the Hathras stampede case, Dev Prakash Madhukar, the main accused and organiser of the 'Bhole Baba' event, has surrendered to the police. This information was revealed by his lawyer, A.P. Singh. Following his surrender, Madhukar was promptly taken into custody by the police. “We have handed over Dev Prakash Madhukar to the UP Police. Now, the UP STF can carry out its investigation,” stated A.P. Singh. Madhukar had a bounty of one lakh rupees on his head.
Meanwhile, the UP Police and various investigative agencies are also on the lookout for the preacher Surajpal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari or ‘Bhole Baba’.
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Hathras Stampede Case
The stampede occurred on July 2 in Phulrai village of Hathras district during a spiritual gathering led by Narayan Sakar Hari, resulting in the deaths of 121 people, most of whom were women. The FIR registered in this case names only Dev Prakash Madhukar as the accused, with no mention of Surajpal.
Prior to this, the police had taken stringent action by arresting six members of the organising committee, which included four men and two women. The arrested individuals were identified as Ram Ladaite, Upendra Singh, Megh Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Manju Yadav, and Manju Devi.
In the aftermath of the Hathras tragedy, the Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh announced compensation of two lakh rupees for the families of the deceased and fifty thousand rupees for the injured. Additionally, the government has formed a committee to thoroughly investigate the incident. The SIT has submitted its report to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, which includes statements from 100 witnesses. Furthermore, an investigation led by the ADG Agra and Aligarh Commissioner is ongoing.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath personally visited the site and met with the injured in the hospital.