Lucknow: A week after 121 people lost their lives in a stampede during a satsang in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted a nearly 300-page report on Tuesday. The report identified overcrowding as the primary cause of the stampede and did not rule out the possibility of a conspiracy.
In response to the SIT report, the Uttar Pradesh government suspended the local Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), a circle officer, and four others. The SIT recommended a deeper investigation into the incident and highlighted failures by the local administration that contributed to the tragedy. The report held the event organizers accountable for the stampede, citing their failure to manage the crowd. It also blamed the local police and administration for not taking the event seriously and failing to inform senior officers properly. Investigations revealed that over 2 lakh people attended the satsang, while permission had been granted for only 80,000 attendees.
Report Includes Eyewitness Statements and Affected Families' Testimonies
The SIT report incorporated statements from 119 individuals, including Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar, Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal, SDM, and other officials. Statements from police officers on duty during the July 2 stampede were also included, along with testimonies from affected families and several eyewitnesses. Previously, the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Commission had recorded statements from several eyewitnesses regarding the stampede.
Supreme Court to Hear PIL on Hathras Stampede
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court announced a hearing date for a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a probe into the Hathras stampede. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud confirmed the listing of the plea, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, which calls for the formation of a five-member expert committee supervised by a retired apex court judge to investigate the incident. The PIL also requests the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report and to take legal action against responsible authorities and officials.
Arrests and Legal Proceedings in Hathras Stampede Case
On July 6, a case was registered against Bhole Baba, originally named Suraj Pal Singh, in connection with the stampede. Baba expressed his distress over the incident and urged affected families to trust the judiciary.
Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused in the stampede, was apprehended on July 5 in the national capital after being on the run. He was placed in 14-day judicial custody following his appearance in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. A reward of Rs 1 lakh had been announced for information leading to his arrest. Additionally, two other accused, Ramprakash Shakya and Sanju Yadav, were also arrested.
Baba’s advocate, AP Singh, claimed the stampede was caused by unidentified men who sprayed poison at the event, suggesting a group of conspirators fled the scene after inciting the chaos.
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