(MENAFN- Live Mint) Godman 'Bhole Baba' was not mentioned as an accused in a chargesheet that was filed in connection with the stampede that occurred during the Narayan Sakar Hari "Bhole Baba" 'satsang' event held in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh on July 2. As many as 121 people were killed in the incident.
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The preacher, 'Bhole Baba', was identified as Suraj Pal . He is also known by the names Narayan Sakar Hari and Jagat Guru Vishwahari. The Hindustan Times reported that the self-styled godman's name was not mentioned in the 3,200-page chargesheet filed on Tuesday against 11 accused.
Hathras police filed a 3,200-page chargesheet in a court in connection with the stampede incident on Tuesday .
The police named 11 individuals as accused, including those responsible for securing the event's permit, news agency PTI reported. The 11 people accused in the case include: Dev Prakash Madhukar (the chief organiser of the event), Megh Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Manju Devi, Manju Yadav, Ram Ladhete, Upendra Singh, Sanju Kumar, Ram Prakash Shakya, Durvesh Kumar and Dalveer Singh.
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They were named in the FIR as well. 'Mukhya Sewadar' Devprakash Madhukar in the prime accused in both the FIR and the chargesheet. Godman Bhole Baba's name was not included in the FIR as well.
The court set October 4 as the date for providing copies of the chargesheet to the accused, defense lawyer AP Singh was quoted as saying.
Singh said that on Tuesday, a physical appearance was made in court for the 10 accused, including the main organiser and fundraiser of the event, Dev Prakash Madhukar, who were brought from Aligarh District Jail to the Hathras District Court.
One of the accused, Manju Yadav, is currently out on bail following orders from the Allahabad High Court. "The SIT probing the case has filed the charge sheet. A separate judicial inquiry into the matter is ongoing," Singh said.
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As many as 121 people, mostly women, died in the stampede after a satsang of Surajpal alias Bhole Baba alias Narayan Sakar Hari was held on July 2 in Fulrai village in Hathras' Sikandra Rao area.
An FIR was lodged in the matter on July 2 under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 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).
What had happened at satsang?
A lawyer representing Bhole Baba earlier claimed that "anti-social elements" were behind the stampede at the preacher's 'satsang'. "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 had told PTI.
Also Read | Hathras news: What led to the stampede at Satsang?
The statement contradicted preliminary report that said 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".
(With inputs from agencies)
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