“Stampede Due To Anti-Social Elements”: ‘Godmen’ Break Silence On Hathras Deaths

Bhole Baba, the ‘godman’ whose ‘prayer meet’ in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras Wednesday ended in a stampede that killed 121 people, and who has been absconding since, issued a statement this evening declaring he will take legal action against “anti-social elements” that allegedly engineered the horrific chaos. Bhole Baba, whose real name is Suraj Pal Singh, also expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.

The ‘godman’ has not, so far, been named in the one police case to have been filed at this time. His aide and the event organisers have been named and they are charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and wrongful restraint. State police chief Prashant Kumar was non-committal when asked if Bhole Baba will be arrested, saying, “Action will be taken based on facts.”

Also Read: Organizers Tried To Cover Up Hathras Stampede: Yogi Adityanath

Earlier today UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the organisers of the meeting had tried to “cover up the incident’, and announced a high-level committee, to be led by a retired High Court judge, to probe the incident.

The committee, which will also include retired cops and senior civic officials will investigate potential lapses, of which several, including questions over permission and a possible lack of crowd safety measures, have already been flagged. “The culprits won’t be spared,” the Chief Minister declared.