Days after 121 people died in a stampede at his 'satsang' in Hathras of Uttar Pradesh, religious preacher Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba said he was deeply saddened by the incident and added that he has faith in the government and administration.
In a video statement, which is his first reaction after the deadly Hathras stampede, Bhole Baba said, “I am deeply saddened after the incident. May God give us the strength to bear this pain.”
I have faith that anyone who created the chaos would not be spared, the religious preacher said.
"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 live," Bhole Baba, a former cop-turned-self-styled godman added.
Bhole Baba has been elusive after the stampede. His lawyer had said they have district-wise lists of the victims, and the godman's trust would take care of the education, health, and wedding expenses of the families of those who died in the stampede.
Surjpal left his job as a policeman in the late 1990s and became a religious preacher and started holding 'satsang'. He gained a large following, especially in western Uttar Pradesh.
The probe so far
The Uttar Pradesh government's Special Investigation Team, probing the incident, has said far recorded the statements of 90 people.
SIT chief Anupam Kulshrestha said the evidence gathered suggests culpability on the part of the event organisers.
With the probe continuing in the case, the senior IPS officer told news agency PTI that the "conspiracy angle" cannot be ruled out.