Hathras stampede - What happened after Godman Left?

G GOWTHAM
The self-styled godman Bhole baba, a former police policeman who became a preacher, is still unaccounted for after 121 people died in a stampede at his religious gathering, or satsang, in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday.
 
According to sources, Bhole baba departed the location about 1:40 p.m. The authorities were able to retrieve call records that show that at 2:48 pm, he received a call from his chief organiser, Dev Prakash Madhukar, who was probably notifying him about the tragedy. Baba's phone made the two-minute, seventeen-second call.
 
After the conversation, the location of Baba's phone was determined to be his Mainpuri ashram on the same day, between 3:00 and 4:35 pm. He called his pals frantically during this period. 

Mahesh Chandra, who was reportedly connected to the organising committee, was the subject of the first call, which lasted for three minutes. The second, with just one Sanju Yadav, lasted for a mere forty seconds. The third, which lasted for about eleven and a half minutes, included Ranjana, Dev Prakash's wife.
 
The godman's cell phone was turned off after 4:35 pm, according to police sources, and its whereabouts are still unknown.
 

What FIR States

Bhole baba, also known as baba Narayan hari and Saakar vishwa Hari, is referenced in the complaint but is not listed in the FIR against the satsang organisers. According to an initial investigation, the stampede was triggered by a "slippery slope" and disturbances by the godman's security staff.
 
The organisers are charged in the FIR with exceeding capacity, concealing evidence, and refusing to assist emergency authorities. Over 2.5 lakh individuals are said to have attended the event, which was granted clearance for 80,000 participants.
 
 

Find Out More:

Related Articles: