The Crossbill Team
The death toll in the stampede at a 'satsang' (religious congregation) in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Tuesday (July 2) rose to 121, including more than 100 women dead. Search operations are on to nap the self-styled godman Bhole Baba aka Narayan Saakar Hari, the preacher who was present at the satsang, police officials said.
Deputy superintendent of police Sunil Kumar informed that the Uttar Pradesh Police carried out a search operation at Bhole Baba’s 'ashram' in Mainpuri, about 100 km from the Phulrai village, where the tragedy took place yesterday, Hindustan Times reported.
"We did not find Baba ji inside the campus...He is not here...,” said Kumar, quoted the newspaper.
Bhole Baba, whose original name is Suraj Pal, runs a Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district, the police said. The stampede occurred around 3.30pm as Bhole Baba was leaving the venue.
Following the stampede, a forensic unit and a dog squad swiftly arrived at the site. Squads from the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are also on duty.
An FIR has been registered against the 'satsang organizers'. It stated that permission was granted for 80,000 people, but more than 2.5 lakh devotees attended the event, the officials said.
"Due to the uncontrollable crowd leaving the venue, devotees sitting on the ground were crushed. On the other side of the road, the crowd running in the water and mud-filled fields was forcibly stopped by the organizing committee with sticks, due to which the pressure of the crowd kept increasing and women, children, and men kept getting crushed," the FIR said, reported NDTV.
"The police and administrative officials present on the spot made every possible effort and sent the injured people to the hospital with the available resources. But no cooperation was given by the organizers," the FIR added.
Charges have been framed under 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), and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the new criminal code Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the police said.
A compensation of Rs 2 lakh each has been announced for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured, NDTV reported.
Deputy superintendent of police Sunil Kumar informed that the Uttar Pradesh Police carried out a search operation at Bhole Baba’s 'ashram' in Mainpuri, about 100 km from the Phulrai village, where the tragedy took place yesterday, Hindustan Times reported.
"We did not find Baba ji inside the campus...He is not here...,” said Kumar, quoted the newspaper.
Bhole Baba, whose original name is Suraj Pal, runs a Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district, the police said. The stampede occurred around 3.30pm as Bhole Baba was leaving the venue.
Following the stampede, a forensic unit and a dog squad swiftly arrived at the site. Squads from the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are also on duty.
An FIR has been registered against the 'satsang organizers'. It stated that permission was granted for 80,000 people, but more than 2.5 lakh devotees attended the event, the officials said.
"Due to the uncontrollable crowd leaving the venue, devotees sitting on the ground were crushed. On the other side of the road, the crowd running in the water and mud-filled fields was forcibly stopped by the organizing committee with sticks, due to which the pressure of the crowd kept increasing and women, children, and men kept getting crushed," the FIR said, reported NDTV.
"The police and administrative officials present on the spot made every possible effort and sent the injured people to the hospital with the available resources. But no cooperation was given by the organizers," the FIR added.
Charges have been framed under 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), and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the new criminal code Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the police said.
A compensation of Rs 2 lakh each has been announced for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured, NDTV reported.
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