LUCKNOW: An FIR has been filed against the organizers of the religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras after a tragic stampede resulted in the death of 121 people and injuries to many more.
The FIR alleges that organizers sought permission for an 80,000-person gathering while withholding information about a previous event that drew hundreds of thousands. Nearly 2.5 lakh people were present at the site when the incident happened.
Among the victims, 108 were women and seven were children who were part of a large crowd near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area attending the ‘satsang’ led by the religious preacher ‘Bhole Baba,’ who is being hunted by UP police. Here are some of the other top updates on the tragic incident that shook the country:
ASPHYXIA CAUSED MOST DEATHS
Asphyxia due to compression was the leading cause of death among the victims of the Hathras stampede who were brought to the district hospital in neighbouring Etah on Tuesday, a senior doctor said. The hospital performed four times the usual number of autopsies in a day in the aftermath of the stampede, he said.
As many as 27 bodies were brought to the mortuary of the district hospital here after the stampede at Hathras’ Phulrai village on Tuesday. The overall toll stood at 121 and bodies were taken to various hospitals in nearby areas including Etah and Aligarh.
FOREIGN ENVOYS EXPRESS GREIF
Envoys from several countries, including Germany, France and China, have mourned the loss of lives in a stampede in Hathras and extended condolences to the victims’ families. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a post on X on Tuesday said he was deeply distressed by the tragic incident.
“Deeply distressed by the tragic loss of lives in a stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he wrote on the social media platform.
FIR AGAINST ORGANISERS
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation. ‘Mukhya sevadar’ Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandara Rao police station late Tuesday, a senior officer told PTI.
The FIR has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence), the officer said.
PLEA FILED IN SUPREME COURT
A fresh plea has been filed in the Supreme Court concerning the Hathras stampede, underlining glaring lapses in administrative responsibility and safety measures. The plea points to a concerning pattern of not learning from past incidents, alleging a failure on the part of government authorities to uphold their duty toward public safety.
The petition outlines several grievances, asserting that the incident starkly reflects serious lapses in responsibility, negligence, and a lack of faithful duty of care by government authorities. It criticizes the inadequate security arrangements and facilities that were evidently insufficient in preventing such an unexpected tragedy.
HUNT FOR BHOLE BABA
A search operation was conducted at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district to locate Baba Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba. ‘We did not find Baba ji inside the campus. He is not here,’ Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar told ANI.
