A tragic stampede during a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district on Tuesday, July 2, claimed the lives of at least 121 people while hundreds of others are battling for their lives. During a ‘satsang’ led by local preacher Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari famous as Bhole Baba on Tuesday, when thousands of attendees surged forward in a bid to collect soil it caused a frantic crush on the uneven ground leading to numerous deaths including that of women and children. While local healthcare facilities are overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, struggling to manage the influx of casualties, the entire nation is stunned at the tragic incident that happened during a religious gathering seeking answers to who should be held accountable for the mass murder of over 100 innocent people.
Meanwhile, following the unfortunate incident, Uttar Pradesh police have filed an FIR under relevant sections under sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita against the organizers, including principal volunteer Devprakash Madhukar, and others. Serious charges include tampering with evidence and providing misleading information about the expected crowd size, however, none of the arrests have been reported yet. Shockingly, the main accused – Surajpal Singh, the local preacher who reportedly instigated the crowd to collect soil off his feet has been on the run ever since the accident happened, and even though he is facing immense criticism, there is apparently no FIR registered against him yet.
In the latest, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the incident site to take stock of the situation while swiftly initiating relief efforts. Calling it a “heart-wrenching tragedy, he extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and announced ₹2 lakh as ex gratia compensation for each bereaved family and ₹50,000 for each injured person to support their recovery. The Chief Minister instructed officials to conduct rescue operations on a war footing and ensure proper treatment for the injured
Nevertheless, the tragedy has sparked community mourning in Phularai village and raised significant concerns about accountability and safety protocols during large religious gatherings prone to deadly stampedes. In ongoing efforts to piece together the events leading to the stampede, Uttar Pradesh police conducted a search at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district, where Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar confirmed that self-styled godman “Baba ji” was not found.
Meanwhile, in addition to inciting criticism, the stampede has called into question the UP police’s security procedures and management. This horrible accident directly resulted from inadequate policing and failed crowd control measures. Witnesses and survivors have criticized the authorities, claiming that better planning and coordination could have prevented this tragedy. The growing demands for accountability as investigations progress highlight the urgent need for prompt and thorough changes in public event management to prevent similar catastrophes in the future.
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