Hathras stampede: Rahul Gandhi meets victims’ families, assures to raise issue in Parliament

Days after a massive stampede at a satsang in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras claimed 121 lives.

The UP Police on Thursday arrested six members of the organising committee of preacher Bhole Baba. All six people who were arrested worked as ‘sevadars’ (volunteers) at the satsang.

Police personnel have been deployed outside the ashram since the stampede took place at the preacher’s congregation in Harthras. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi visited Hathras on Friday, where he met the family members of the stampede victims. He also visited Aligarh to meet some affected families.

HATHRAS STAMPEDE: WHAT HAPPENED SO FAR
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday visited Hathras following the stampede in which 121 people were killed. The Congress leader met the family members of the victims. Earlier today, he also met some affected families in Aligarh.

The Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday arrested six members of the organising committee of preacher Bhole Baba’s satsang. The arrested include two women. The only accused named in the FIR is at large, while Surajpal, who is also known as Narayan Sakar Hari and Bhole Baba, will be questioned if required during the investigation, a senior officer told PTI.

Inspector General of Police (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur told reporters that all six persons who were arrested worked as ‘sevadars’ (volunteers) at the satsang. A reward of Rs 1 lakh will be announced soon and a non-bailable warrant (NBW) will also be issued against key accused Devprakash Madhukar, he said. Those arrested were identified by the police as Ram Ladaite (50), Upendra Singh Yadav (62), Megh Singh (61), Mukesh Kumar (38), and women Manju Yadav (30) and Manju Devi (40).

The bodies of all victims have been identified and handed over to their families, District Magistrate Asish Kumar said on Thursday. Meanwhile, police personnel have been deployed outside the ashram since the stampede took place at the preacher’s congregation in Harthras.

On Wednesday night, the police entered the ashram premises of religious preacher Jagat Guru Saakar Vishwahari Bhole Baba in Mainpuri and said he was not present there. A police official said they had gone there to check security arrangements. The Uttar Pradesh government formed a three-member judicial commission headed by a retired high court judge to probe the Hathras tragedy, also looking into the possibility that a “conspiracy” was behind the stampede.