Hathras stampede: Judicial panel blames administration, hints at ’criminal conspiracy’ to defame Yogi Adityanth govt

Hathras stampede: The judicial commission investigating last year's stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras has identified overcrowding, mismanagement by organisers and negligence in granting permissions as factors responsible for the tragedy that claimed 121 lives at a religious event of preacher Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba.

In its 1,670-page report submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government and tabled in the state assembly in March, the panel highlighted several safety lapses in the event's infrastructure, including a lack of exit planning. The report did not blame the godman Bhole Baba.

Surajpal, the actual name of the preacher, was not mentioned as an accused in the FIR lodged by the local police following the deadly stampede in Sikandrarao's Fulrai village.

The panel did not rule out the possibility of a criminal conspiracy and recommended that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) conduct a deeper probe.

The three-member judicial commission was set up by the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, with justice (retired) Brijesh Kumar Shrivastav as its chairperson along with former IAS officer Hemant Rao and former IPS officer Bhavesh Kumar as members.

2.5 to 3 lakh attended the event

The inquiry revealed that the event's chief organiser, Dev Prakash Madhukar, submitted a formal application to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Sikandrarao on June 18, 2024, seeking permission for a gathering of 80,000 people. But the actual turnout was between 2.5 to 3 lakh, it said.

And when the religious sermon concluded, the entire crowd tried to exit at once, leading to uncontrollable chaos, according to the report. The panel found that no structured dispersal plan was in place to guide devotees out of the venue safely, news agency PTI  reported.

The stampede occurred near a highway adjacent to a muddy slope, which was not barricaded or secured for safety. Additionally, water from tankers was spilt on the road, making the surface slippery and dangerous for the fast-moving crowd. This combination of factors turned the area into a high-risk zone, where many people lost their footing and were trampled as others tried to escape the rush, the report said.

The panel found that all security, crowd control, and traffic management responsibilities were entirely handed over to the event organisers and their sevadars, with local police and administration taking a passive role, PTI reported.

The commission strongly criticised this approach, stating that ensuring public safety is a fundamental duty of law enforcement and cannot be outsourced to private individuals.

The panel noted that several misleading affidavits and petitions were filed after the incident, seemingly aimed at misdirecting the investigation. The panel did not rule out the possibility of a criminal conspiracy and recommended that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) conduct a deeper probe.

“The possibility of criminal conspiracy being involved as per a well-planned scheme to bring such an event into public discussion, to defame the government or to get some other benefit cannot be ruled out and the said fact is also strengthened by the fact that misleading facts have been presented in all the sponsored affidavits/applications with the intention of deviating the direction of the investigation, but it would be legal if this criminal aspect is investigated in depth by the SIT investigating the crime,” the report said.

To prevent such tragedies in the future, the judicial commission has stressed the need for stricter regulations on large religious gatherings.

Hathras stampede

On July 2, 2024, a stampede at the Fulari village in Hathras shook the nation. The incident took place during a Satsang led by self-styled godman Bhole Baba, also known as Narayan Saakar Hari, and Suraj Pal.

As per official figures, the accident claimed the lives of 121 people, mostly women and children. Over 80 others sustained injuries and had to be hospitalised.

(With PTI inputs)