Following the tragic stampede at a satsang in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, where 121 lives were lost, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has submitted a comprehensive report on the incident. The nearly 300-page report identifies overcrowding as the primary cause behind the July 2 tragedy.
Sources familiar with the investigation revealed that the satsang venue, intended for around 80,000 attendees, saw an overwhelming turnout of over 2 lakh people. This overcrowding exacerbated the situation, leading to the deadly stampede.
The SIT report includes statements from 119 individuals, comprising eyewitness accounts and testimonies from key officials including Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar, Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal, and Sub Divisional Magistrate. Statements from police personnel on duty during the event were also incorporated into the investigation.
Additionally, the report incorporates inputs from the affected families, providing a comprehensive overview of the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Commission had conducted its own inquiry, gathering statements from numerous eyewitnesses to further understand the sequence of events.
In response to the incident, legal action was taken, including the registration of a case against Bhole Baba (Suraj Pal Singh), the spiritual leader organizing the satsang. Expressing remorse over the incident, Baba urged affected families to trust the judicial process.
The main accused, Dev Prakash Madhukar, was apprehended on July 5, with ongoing legal proceedings against him. Meanwhile, Baba’s advocate, AP Singh, alleged a conspiracy involving unidentified individuals who purportedly sprayed poison during the event, triggering the stampede before fleeing the scene.
As investigations continue and legal processes unfold, the Hathras stampede remains a stark reminder of the consequences of overcrowding and the need for stringent event management protocols to prevent such tragedies in the future.
