The organisers of the satsang of the self-styled godman Bhole Baba were responsible for the Hathras stampede, the Special Investigation Team probing the incident said in its report submitted on Tuesday, Hindustan Times reported. As many as 121 persons got killed in the stampede.
The SIT investigating the Hathras stampede submitted its 300-page enquiry report to the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday. The SIT comprised Additional Director General of Police (Agra Zone) Anupam Kulshrestha and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner Chaitra V. "The SIT has submitted its report to the government," Director of Information, Shishir told PTI.
The SIT found the satsang organisers were responsible for the mishap, Hindustan Times reported. “The committee invited more people than the permitted number, failed to make adequate arrangements, and the officials had not inspected the site despite granting permission,” the publication reported quoting the report.
The SIT recorded statements of 119 persons, including kin of deceased and injured devotees as part of the probe.
The July 2 stampede at the 'satsang' of self-styled godman Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba claimed 121 lives. Government agencies, including police, have so far blamed the organisers for the mismanagement at the event, noting that the size of the crowd exceeded to over 2.50 lakh from the permitted 80,000.
Kulshrestha told PTI on July 5 that they have not ruled out the conspiracy angle in the stampede and added that the culpability of the incident was on the organisers of the event.
A separate judicial commission headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Brijesh Kumar Shrivastava, and retired IPS Hemant Rao is also probing the Hathras stampede case.
The lawyer of the 'godman', however, on July 6 claimed "some poisonous substance" sprayed by "some unidentified men" triggered the stampede.
So far, nine people, including key accused Devprakash Madhukar, have been arrested in connection with the stampede. Madhukar was the main organiser and fundraiser of the July 2 satsang of self-styled godman at Phulrai village. The godman was not mentioned as accused in the FIR lodged at the local Sikandrarau police station on July 2.
-with inputs from agencies.