UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: SOPs to prevent future tragedies, 3-member commission formed for probe

A 45-year-old woman from Gwalior, sole breadwinner of her family, was killed in the stampede at Hathras that claimed more than 120 lives. Ramshri, resident of Jagjivan Nagar locality here, had travelled to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh with some ten others for taking part in the satsang on Tuesday.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday formed a three-member judicial commission headed by a retired High Court judge to probe the Hathras tragedy, looking also into the possibility that a “conspiracy” was behind the stampede that killed 121 people at a religious gathering.

Retired Allahabad High Court judge Brijesh Kumar Srivastav leads the inquiry commission, which will submit its report in two months. Retired IAS officers Hemant Rao and Bhavesh Kumar are the other members, the state government said in Lucknow.

A day after a stampede in Hathras claimed 121 lives, Uttar Pradesh minister Asim Arun on Wednesday said the state government has started work on SOPs for granting permission for large gatherings to prevent such incidents in future.

He said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed officials to prepare the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and permission for events would be granted only if the "basic, minimum" conditions for amenities are met.

Union Minister SP Singh Baghel met Hathras stampede victims' families in Agra.

He said that as per the information received 17 people in Agra district were killed. Out of the deceased, 16 are women and one is a man.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: An FIR has been lodged against 'Mukhya Sewadar' Devprakash Madhukar and other organizers of the 'Satsang'. The preacher 'Bhole Baba', who is currently untraceable, has not been named in the FIR

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: The Judicial Inquiry Commission has been tasked to complete the investigation within two months

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: According to the state government's information, retired IAS officers Hemant Rao and Bhavesh Kumar are the two other members of the inquiry commission

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: The three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission will be headed by retired judge of Allahabad High Court, Justice Brijesh Kumar Srivastav 

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel forms a three-member commission to probe the Hathras stampede incident.

The pilgrims from not only Uttar Pradesh but also three other states lost their lives in the deadly stampede at Hathras, the Uttar Pradesh government said on Wednesday as it announced compensation to the families of all deceased.

The victims included pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, according to a statement released in Lucknow.

Additionally, the pilgrims from 17 districts of Uttar Pradesh were also among the deceased.

A lawyer representing Bhole Baba claimed Wednesday that "anti-social elements" were behind the stampede at the preacher's 'satsang' here in which 121 people died a day back, and contradicted preliminary reports that the tragedy struck when his followers rushed to collect the soil touched by his feet.

According to preliminary government reports, the stampede occurred when a large number of his followers, mostly women, rushed towards Baba Narayan Hari alias Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba when he was leaving to get a closer glimpse of the preacher and collect his "charan raj".

"Some anti-social elements hatched a conspiracy. When Narayan Saakar Hari left the venue, his vehicles left, our volunteers and followers failed to understand what was happening due to the conspiracy. This was done as per a plan and should be investigated," lawyer A P Singh told PTI.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: "This is a very tragic incident, high-level judicial enquiry has been ordered. Post-mortem of 118 bodies has been done, five bodies are yet to identified. A total of 20 injured are undergoing treatment in the hospitals, and they are out of danger," says UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: Issuing an official statement, self-styled Godman Narayan Sakar Hari, also known as Bhole Baba, expressed his condolences over the incident and claimed that the chaos erupted a long time after he had already left the venue, reported India Today.

"I/we express our deep condolence to the families of the deceased and pray to prabhu/parmatma (God) for the speedy recovery of the injured," the latter issued by Narayan Sarkar Hari read.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: “I think an FIR should be filed against him, he should be arrested immediately and it should be found out on whose orders all this was happening. Is he a devotee or was there some plan behind this and why did he run away after so many people died? This is a matter of questioning, his followers who were servants also ran away....,” NCW chief Rekha Sharma said

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: “Today, a team from the National Commission for Women, led by Hon’ble Chairperson Smt Rekha Sharma and Member Secretary Smt Meenakshi Negi, visited Hathras. They met with the DM & SSP, and visited the hospital with CMO Hathras to meet the injured women victims of this grave tragedy” NCW tweeted

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: "I turned over more than 100 dead bodies to check their faces," a brother, whose 50-year-old sister has been missing since the stampede incident in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, told PTI on Wednesday.

After visiting the postmortem houses in Hathras, Etah and Aligarh, "where a large number of dead bodies were lying and the situation was horrifying", Rakesh Kumar (46) said he reached the postmortem house in Agra on his motorcycle in the morning to search for his sister, Harbeji Devi.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: Chaos caused after Narayan Sakaar Hari's followers were pushed by the godman's security and a "slippery slope" resulted in the stampede on Tuesday, a preliminary report submitted by Sikandra Rau sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) to the district magistrate (DM).

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: Hathras police files an FIR against the organisers, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people crammed into a venue in which only 80,000 were permitted

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: “I am deeply saddened to learn that many precious lives were lost in the stampede that occurred in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh. On behalf of the Government of Japan, I pray for the souls of the victims and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I would also like to express my sincere wishes for the swift recovery of the injured," Japanese PM Fumio Kishida said

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: A PIL  was filed in the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday demanding a CBI inquiry into the stampede which claimed 121 lives, PTI reported. 

The PIL, filed by advocate Gaurav Dwivedi, said the district officials are "fully responsible" for the negligence that led to the stampede.

In his petition addressed to the chief justice and other judges, Dwivedi has said that it was learnt through media that more than a hundred people had died and many were injured in the stampede that took place after the 'satsang' in Hathras district. 

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: "Whoever this Baba (Narayan Hari Sarkar) was, he did an illegal activity, he had asked for permission for 80 thousand people and gathered a crowd of more than 2 lakh. When all this happened, Baba ran away. I think an FIR should be filed against him, he should be arrested immediately and it should be found out on whose orders all this was happening. Is he a devotee or was there some plan behind this and why did he run away after so many people died? This is a matter of questioning,  his followers who were servants also ran away....",  says NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: Visuals of injured undergoing treatment at Aligarh govt medical college

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE:  “..This government is completely insensitive which gave this permission to the organisers... Strictest action should be taken against the officials who gave permission for the program and actions should be taken against the organisers as well...A compensation of at least ₹1 crore and a govt job should be given to the family of the deceased and ₹25 lakhs should be given to the injured…,” UP Congress president said

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: “Under the leadership of ADG Agra, we have formed an SIT which has submitted the initial report. They have been directed to investigate the matter properly. An FIR has already been launched to find out the ones responsible for this” says CM Yogi Adityanath

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: Visuals from the ashram of Baba Narayan Hari alias Saakar Vishwa Hari 'Bhole Baba', who remains absconding since the stampede at his religious congregation in Hathras' Phulrai village that killed 121 people.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: "Total six injured were admitted to our hospital last night. They are all now out of danger," says Aligarh Chief Medical Superintendent Mahendra Kumar Mathur

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE, "It is a very sad incident which happened in Hathras. When the Prime Minister was replying to the Motion of Thanks yesterday, the report came in. We all condoned the incident... It's a very sad incident in the 21st century if this is happening... We feel that government must act and fix those people who are involved in it. A fair action is needed. Nobody should try to protect those people who have made this mistake. It is a heinous crime on the people who had come for some kind of religious activity...," Congress MP Manickam Tagore said 

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: "This is a law and order situation. It is a failure of the police machinery. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has to answer why this happened... Those who are answerable should be made accountable... Lack of accountability is the biggest any state is facing...," says  Congress MP Jebi Mather

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: , "This is a very sad incident and politics should not be done on this...The government should make sure that this type of incident should not be repeated and the opposition should not this incident with a political view...," says Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: "The minor children of the innocent people who became victims of this incident, who are school students, will be facilitated in their education under Uttar Pradesh Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana...Families of each deceased are being given ex-gratia of ₹4 Lakhs and ₹1 Lakh will be given to those who sustained minor injuries," CM Yogi Adityanath said

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: "Some people have the tendency to politicise such sad and painful incidents. These people have the nature of 'chori bhi aur seenazori bhi'. Everyone knows with whom the gentleman's (preacher) photos are and with whom he has political connections. You must have seen that during the rallies in the past days, where was the stampede and who was behind it? It is necessary for us to know about it. Those who play with the lives of innocent people will be held accountable for this...," says CM Yogi Adityanath

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: President of Russia Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh.

"Kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh. Please convey words of sympathy and support to the near and dear ones of the deceased as well as wishes for a speedy recovery of all injured," Putin wrote.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: '121 devotees were killed in the tragedy who came from Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh along with Uttar Pradesh. Out of 121, six deceased belong to others states. I visited the injured who are being treated at the district hospital in Hathras and almost all of them are out of danger," says CM Yogi Adityanath

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: "The most saddening part of this incident was that the 'sevadars' of the event do not let people from the administration inside the event venue. When the administration directed them to take the injured to hospital, most of the 'sevadars' fled from the site," says CM Yogi Adityanath while addressing a press conference in Hathras

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: After meeting those injured and kin of the deceased in the Hathras stampede incident, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said a judicial inquiry headed by a retired High Court judge will be initiated. The CM promised to punish those responsible for the lapse.

Uttar Pradesh Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has said that the state has formed an SIT and “there are several angles that need to be probed”. “We have formed an SIT, led by ADG Agra. It has submitted a preliminary report. They have been told to investigate this deeply. There are several angles that need to be investigated...State Government has decided to have a judicial inquiry as well which will be led by a retired High Court judge. Retired senior officials of the Administration and Police will also be a part of it,” he said.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: “It is important that laws be made against 'blind faith' like Karnataka and Maharashtra so that fake people who loot people for money can be banned,” Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE: "Like the incident that happened at the Hathras satsang, there is no law in place to ensure the safety of people at such events.

Therefore, laws should be made to protect people in such programs.

For example, how big is the place where the satsang is taking place and how far is the hospital from there," says Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge 

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday said, “The people's lives have no value in this country... A person building his 'Baba Bazar' and no control whatsoever over him,” reported ANI

He added, "This isn't about Hathras only, see in the entire country, what happens in Haryana - a Baba guilty of murder and rape, comes out when he wants and the entire govt bows before him. If you will let the market of such Babas flourish in the country, how you control such incidents?"

Minister of State for Education (Independent Charge) in the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Sandip Kumar Singh Lodhi said, “It is a very unfortunate incident and we have been following up on every update from Hathras all night,” reported ANI. "It is really sad that the death toll has reached 121. About 35 people are injured," he added.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: Rajya Sabha MP & senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani said, “It's very unfortunate. I think that there should have been better arrangements for the Satsang,” reported ANI.

He added, "I don't want to comment on anything unless we find out the real reasons for the unfortunate incident. I'll maintain a silence until to see what the causes are."

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: "The incident of Hathras is very painful, heart wrenching. I offer my condolences to the families of those who died. I hope the government is facilitating treatment of those injured," PTI quoted Faizabad MP Awadesh Prasad as saying.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: Sikandra Rao SDM addressed a letter to Hathras DM that said, “Narayan Hari Sarkar reached the venue at 12.30 and the event went on for an hour. When the baba left the venue, people started rushing towards him to seek his blessings. A large no. of people were already standing on the divider at the GT road and started running towards Baba.”

It adds, "To prevent the crowd from reaching Baba, his private security and 'Sevadar' pushed some people and they fell down. The crowd went out of control and panicked. To get relief from this, people rushed towards the open field nearby where multiple people slipped on a slope and the people started running over them," reported ANI citing the letter.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: “Such incident prima facie depicts the serious condition of responsibility lapse, negligence and unfaithful duty of care towards the public by the government authorities,” the petition filed in the Supreme Court states.

It adds, "Over the past decade, various incidents have taken place in our country wherein due to mismanagement, a lapse in duty, and negligent maintenance activities, there have been cases of huge public casualties which could have been avoided yet due to such arbitrary and undone actions have led to such work," reported ANI.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: Advocate Vishal Tiwari filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking direction to the State government of Uttar Pradesh to submit a status report. It also sought response to initiate legal action against the persons, authorities and officials for their negligent conduct

The petition sought direction to appoint a five-member expert committee under the supervision of a retired top Court judge to enquire into the Hathras stampede incident.

The plea further sought direction from the committee to suggest and frame guidelines and safety measures to avoid such incidents. Around 121 people have been reported dead and 28 were injured in the Bhole Baba satsang held on July 2.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said, “The Hathras incident is very serious. Several people have died, we express our sympathies. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered an inquiry and strict action will be taken against those held responsible for this incident. ” 

He added, "Innocent people have died, the police should also think before giving permission for such events," reported PTI.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: JMM MP Mahua Maji said, “When people more than the venue's capacity had gathered there, then the administration should have taken cognizance.”

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader said that the CM of Uttar Pradesh should resign and decreed that the victims should get the compensation.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: UP Minister and BJP MLA Asim Arun said, “As per the information that the police has 121 people have died in the incident. 19 bodies are yet to be identified," reported ANI.

He added, “The information that we have as of now through eyewitnesses - when the programme ended, the organisers did some mismanagement, stopped people, the exit path was narrow, it is also being said that needs to be verified that there was a pit, people fell over one another and died due to suffocation. " He further noted that the CM has called for a probe in the matter under the presidentship of ADG, Agra Zone.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday arrived at the site of the incidint. In the video he can be seen taking examining the gravity of the situation at the Hathras Police lines.

UP Hathras Stampede LIVE Updates: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday arrived at the site where the stampede took place. The incident occurred near Phulrai village in the Sikandar Rau area when a crowd of thousands gathered for a 'satsang' by religious preacher Bhole Baba.