Earlier this week, 121 people died in a stampede trying to seek blessings from a self-styled godman in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras. While the police arrested six individuals involved in organising the ‘satsang’ for Bhole Baba, Surajpal Singh, the preacher was nowhere to be found until Saturday.
On July 6, a video statement of Surajpal Singh aka Bhole Baba came out to the public where he said he was “saddened” by the incident which killed and injured so many devotees. The Hathras stampede incident is the worst India has seen in many years.
“I am deeply saddened after the incident of July 2. May God give us the strength to bear this pain. Please keep faith in the government and the administration,” Surajpal Singh said.
He added, “I have faith that anyone who created the chaos would not be spared… Through my lawyer AP Singh, I have requested the members of the committee to stand with the bereaved families and the injured and help them throughout their lives.”
It is important to note that while several people have been named as accused in an FIR that was registered last week, the name of Bhole Baba found no mention in it, angering families of the dead.
Who is Bhole Baba?
Surajpal Singh already has five criminal cases lodged against him including one which accuses him of molestation.
He was posted as a head constable in Etawah about 28 years ago but was terminated from services after allegations of rape against him.
He, however, keeps telling his disciples that he took a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) from Uttar Pradesh Police
Bhole Baba has been known for his controversial ‘satsangs’. Five criminal cases against him have been filed in Agra, Etawah, Kasganj, Farrukhabad and Rajasthan’s Dausa.
He also supposedly has political ties with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claiming Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has met Bhole Baba in the past after a photo of them together went viral on social media.
Main accused surrenders
Meanwhile, the main accused in the stampede case, Devprakash Madhukar, surrendered in Delhi on Friday.
Madhukar was the main organiser of the ‘satsang’ and he is now in the custody of UP police.
The Uttar Pradesh police said on Thursday that they have arrested six ‘sevadars’, including two women, in connection with the Hathras stampede that killed 121 people.
The only accused named in the FIR is at large while preacher Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba will be questioned if required during an investigation, a senior officer said.
“All six persons who have been arrested worked as sevadars (volunteers) at the ‘satsang’,” Inspector General of Police (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur told reporters.
With inputs from agencies
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