121 Dead in Hathras Stampede; 3-Member Commission To Probe Incident; NCW Chief Demands Arrest of 'Bhole Baba'

National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma Wednesday said that Bhole Baba, aka Narayan Hari Sarkar, in whose 'satsang' 121 people were killed in a stampede on Tuesday, should be arrested immediately. “Whoever this Baba (Narayan Hari Sarkar) was, he did an illegal activity, he had asked for permission for 80 thousand people and gathered a crowd of more than 2 lakhs. When all this happened, Baba ran away. I think an FIR should be filed against him, he should be arrested immediately and it should be found out on whose orders all this was happening. Is he a devotee or was there some plan behind this and why did he run away after so many people died? This is a matter of questioning, his followers who were servants also ran away....,” said Rekha Sharma, according to ANI.

A team of NCW led by Rekha Sharma and Member Secretary Meenakshi Negi, visited Hathras on Wednesday where met with the DM and SSP, and visited the hospital to meet the injured women victims of the grave tragedy.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has formed a three-member commission to probe the Hathras stampede incident. The three-member judicial inquiry commission will probe the incident under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, Allahabad High Court. The Commission will investigate the incident that occurred on July 2 and submit the report to the State Government.

Saakar Vishwa Hari aka Bhole Baba, at whose 'Satsang' 121 people lost their lives in a stampede on Tuesday, equated himself to God in his sermons. Locals say that Baba had once adopted a girl, but she died 16-17 years ago. Baba had kept her body at home for two days, hoping she would come alive. The police had to intervene, and the girl was cremated thereafter, the locals claimed. Read More...

'Bhole Baba', who is under scrutiny after a stampede at his Hathras 'satsang' caused the death of 121 people has issued a statement alleging that the stampede was a result of a "conspiracy".

Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari aka 'Bhole Baba', has issued a statement via a letter through his lawyer and alleged that he had left the venue much before the stampede orchestrated by "anti-social" elements.

The letter reads, "To whom so ever it may concern. I/ We, Express our deepest condolence, to the families of the deceased and pray to Prabhu / Parmatma for the Speedy recovery of the injured. I/ we also authorised Dr. A P Singh Ji, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court...to take further legal action in regard of stamped create by some anti-social elements after over of Samagam/Satsang I left for the Samagam a long time ago on 02-07-2024 at Vill. Fulari, Sikandrarau, Hathras, U.P" (sic).

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida offered condolences on the Hathras stampede and wished for the swift recovery of the injured people. In a statement, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida said, "I am deeply saddened to learn that many precious lives were lost in the stampede that occurred in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh. On behalf of the Government of Japan, I pray for the souls of the victims and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I would also like to express my sincere wishes for the swift recovery of the injured."

A preliminary report of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate on Hathras tragedy has revealed that chaos caused after Narayan Sakaar Hari's followers, who tried to reach near his vehicle to seek "darshan", were pushed by the godman's security and a "slippery slope" resulted in the stampede that killed 121 people. SDM Sikandra Rao submitted the preliminary report on the stampede to the district magistrate (DM). The SDM, who gave permission for the 'satsang' (religious congregation), was also present at the venue when the incident occurred, according to the report. Read More...

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad Wednesday blamed the Uttar Pradesh administration and police for the Hathras Stampede. He said that the matter should be taken seriously, and a high-level inquiry should be ordered. “The incident is heart-wrenching...The government is responsible for this. It looks as if the government has not carried out their responsibilities well. This is the negligence of the administration and the police. Such a huge event was going to take place, there should have been proper arrangements. We hope that the government will work to save the lives of those who are injured... This should be taken seriously and a high-level inquiry should be ordered. The bereaved families should be given financial assistance...,” Prasad said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the BJP on Wednesday over the Hathras stampede, saying such incidents keep happening, but accountability is not fixed by the government, which instead is only interested in "whitewashing" these matters.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Three times more crowd than permitted, no administration on the spot, no crowd management arrangements, no way to escape from the scorching heat, no medical team, no ambulance after the incident, no one for help, no doctors and facilities in the hospital ... such a long list of negligence but no one is accountable." Who is responsible for the tragic incident that happened in Hathras, the Congress general secretary asked.

"Sometimes hundreds of people die due to a bridge collapse, sometimes due to train accidents, sometimes due to stampedes. Instead of whitewashing, it is the responsibility of the government to take action and prepare a plan to prevent such accidents," she said. But accountability is not fixed and such accidents keep happening, Gandhi said, adding that this is a very sad situation.

A public interest litigation was filed in the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday demanding a CBI inquiry into the stampede at a religious congregation in Hathras which claimed 121 lives. The PIL filed by advocate Gaurav Dwivedi said the district officials are "fully responsible" for the negligence that led to the stampede. The district officials have all the arrangements to deal with any untoward situation and the Uttar Pradesh government is spending a lot of money on the new technologies, the petition said. It has requested the high court to order a CBI inquiry into the incident to ensure a "fair probe", and demanded a direction to the state government to get the incident investigated by a special investigation team.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message on Wednesday to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the deadly stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras which claimed the lives of 121 people.

"President of #Russia Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message to President of #India Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi over the tragic stampede in #UttarPradesh," Russian Embassy in India wrote on X". "Kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh," the Embassy added.

A day after the Hathras stampede in which 121 people lost their lives, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced a judicial probe into the incident and said the probe committee will find those responsible and also determine whether there was any conspiracy behind it.

He said that among those killed, six were from other states: four from Haryana, and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. He said retired administration and police officials will also be part of the judicial inquiry to probe the stampede.

The committee will find who is responsible for the tragedy, or if it was a conspiracy, the chief minister said. "We will ensure such incidents do not occur in the future," he said, adding the government may put in place a Standard Operating Procedure which will guide organisation of such events in the future.

A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking the appointment of a five-member expert committee under the supervision of a retired apex court judge to probe the Hathras stampede incident which claimed 121 lives. The plea, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, has also sought a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report on the July 2 incident and to initiate legal action against the authorities, officials and others for their negligent conduct. Read More...

The death of 121 people in Tuesday's stampede at the religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh shifted the focus on Narayan Saakar Hari alias 'Bhole Baba', the preacher at whose 'satsang' people gathered in Hathras district. The self-styled religious leader is now absconding, presumably to evade arrest. Read More...

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met those injured in the Hathras stampede on Wednesday. "The chief minister held a meeting with officials in the circuit house and met the injured in district hospitals," a government official said. A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident. The report is likely to be submitted on Wednesday. According to the Office of the Relief Commissioner, the number of people injured stands at 28. Only four of the 121 bodies remained to be identified. Of the 116 who died on Tuesday, all were women, except for seven children and one man.

In the Hathras stampede in which 121 people lost their lives on Tuesday, police have filed an FIR against the organisers, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people crammed into a venue in which only 80,000 were permitted. A day after the stampede in Phulrai village at a congregation by religious preacher Bhole Baba snuffed out the lives of their loved ones, stunned families tried to come to terms with their loss dazed at how an afternoon out could have ended in such tragedy. Crowds gathered around hospitals, some looking for those missing, some there to identify bodies and others tending to the injured. The stampede took place when which took place at around 3.30 pm when Baba Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, the preacher who conducted the 'satsang', was leaving the venue with some accounts saying people slipped in the slush as they ran after the preacher's car.

National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma Wednesday said that Bhole Baba, aka Narayan Hari Sarkar, in whose 'satsang' 121 people were killed in a stampede on Tuesday, should be arrested immediately. “Whoever this Baba (Narayan Hari Sarkar) was, he did an illegal activity, he had asked for permission for 80 thousand people and gathered a crowd of more than 2 lakhs. When all this happened, Baba ran away. I think an FIR should be filed against him, he should be arrested immediately and it should be found out on whose orders all this was happening. Is he a devotee or was there some plan behind this and why did he run away after so many people died? This is a matter of questioning, his followers who were servants also ran away....,” said Rekha Sharma, according to ANI.

A team of NCW led by Rekha Sharma and Member Secretary Meenakshi Negi, visited Hathras on Wednesday where met with the DM and SSP, and visited the hospital to meet the injured women victims of the grave tragedy.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has formed a three-member commission to probe the Hathras stampede incident. The three-member judicial inquiry commission will probe the incident under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, Allahabad High Court. The Commission will investigate the incident that occurred on July 2 and submit the report to the State Government.

Saakar Vishwa Hari aka Bhole Baba, at whose 'Satsang' 121 people lost their lives in a stampede on Tuesday, equated himself to God in his sermons. Locals say that Baba had once adopted a girl, but she died 16-17 years ago. Baba had kept her body at home for two days, hoping she would come alive. The police had to intervene, and the girl was cremated thereafter, the locals claimed. Read More...

'Bhole Baba', who is under scrutiny after a stampede at his Hathras 'satsang' caused the death of 121 people has issued a statement alleging that the stampede was a result of a "conspiracy".

Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari aka 'Bhole Baba', has issued a statement via a letter through his lawyer and alleged that he had left the venue much before the stampede orchestrated by "anti-social" elements.

The letter reads, "To whom so ever it may concern. I/ We, Express our deepest condolence, to the families of the deceased and pray to Prabhu / Parmatma for the Speedy recovery of the injured. I/ we also authorised Dr. A P Singh Ji, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court...to take further legal action in regard of stamped create by some anti-social elements after over of Samagam/Satsang I left for the Samagam a long time ago on 02-07-2024 at Vill. Fulari, Sikandrarau, Hathras, U.P" (sic).

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida offered condolences on the Hathras stampede and wished for the swift recovery of the injured people. In a statement, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida said, "I am deeply saddened to learn that many precious lives were lost in the stampede that occurred in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh. On behalf of the Government of Japan, I pray for the souls of the victims and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I would also like to express my sincere wishes for the swift recovery of the injured."

A preliminary report of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate on Hathras tragedy has revealed that chaos caused after Narayan Sakaar Hari's followers, who tried to reach near his vehicle to seek "darshan", were pushed by the godman's security and a "slippery slope" resulted in the stampede that killed 121 people. SDM Sikandra Rao submitted the preliminary report on the stampede to the district magistrate (DM). The SDM, who gave permission for the 'satsang' (religious congregation), was also present at the venue when the incident occurred, according to the report. Read More...

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad Wednesday blamed the Uttar Pradesh administration and police for the Hathras Stampede. He said that the matter should be taken seriously, and a high-level inquiry should be ordered. “The incident is heart-wrenching...The government is responsible for this. It looks as if the government has not carried out their responsibilities well. This is the negligence of the administration and the police. Such a huge event was going to take place, there should have been proper arrangements. We hope that the government will work to save the lives of those who are injured... This should be taken seriously and a high-level inquiry should be ordered. The bereaved families should be given financial assistance...,” Prasad said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the BJP on Wednesday over the Hathras stampede, saying such incidents keep happening, but accountability is not fixed by the government, which instead is only interested in "whitewashing" these matters.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Three times more crowd than permitted, no administration on the spot, no crowd management arrangements, no way to escape from the scorching heat, no medical team, no ambulance after the incident, no one for help, no doctors and facilities in the hospital ... such a long list of negligence but no one is accountable." Who is responsible for the tragic incident that happened in Hathras, the Congress general secretary asked.

"Sometimes hundreds of people die due to a bridge collapse, sometimes due to train accidents, sometimes due to stampedes. Instead of whitewashing, it is the responsibility of the government to take action and prepare a plan to prevent such accidents," she said. But accountability is not fixed and such accidents keep happening, Gandhi said, adding that this is a very sad situation.

A public interest litigation was filed in the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday demanding a CBI inquiry into the stampede at a religious congregation in Hathras which claimed 121 lives. The PIL filed by advocate Gaurav Dwivedi said the district officials are "fully responsible" for the negligence that led to the stampede. The district officials have all the arrangements to deal with any untoward situation and the Uttar Pradesh government is spending a lot of money on the new technologies, the petition said. It has requested the high court to order a CBI inquiry into the incident to ensure a "fair probe", and demanded a direction to the state government to get the incident investigated by a special investigation team.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message on Wednesday to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the deadly stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras which claimed the lives of 121 people.

"President of #Russia Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message to President of #India Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi over the tragic stampede in #UttarPradesh," Russian Embassy in India wrote on X". "Kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh," the Embassy added.

A day after the Hathras stampede in which 121 people lost their lives, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced a judicial probe into the incident and said the probe committee will find those responsible and also determine whether there was any conspiracy behind it.

He said that among those killed, six were from other states: four from Haryana, and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. He said retired administration and police officials will also be part of the judicial inquiry to probe the stampede.

The committee will find who is responsible for the tragedy, or if it was a conspiracy, the chief minister said. "We will ensure such incidents do not occur in the future," he said, adding the government may put in place a Standard Operating Procedure which will guide organisation of such events in the future.

A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking the appointment of a five-member expert committee under the supervision of a retired apex court judge to probe the Hathras stampede incident which claimed 121 lives. The plea, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, has also sought a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report on the July 2 incident and to initiate legal action against the authorities, officials and others for their negligent conduct. Read More...

The death of 121 people in Tuesday's stampede at the religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh shifted the focus on Narayan Saakar Hari alias 'Bhole Baba', the preacher at whose 'satsang' people gathered in Hathras district. The self-styled religious leader is now absconding, presumably to evade arrest. Read More...

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met those injured in the Hathras stampede on Wednesday. "The chief minister held a meeting with officials in the circuit house and met the injured in district hospitals," a government official said. A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident. The report is likely to be submitted on Wednesday. According to the Office of the Relief Commissioner, the number of people injured stands at 28. Only four of the 121 bodies remained to be identified. Of the 116 who died on Tuesday, all were women, except for seven children and one man.

In the Hathras stampede in which 121 people lost their lives on Tuesday, police have filed an FIR against the organisers, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people crammed into a venue in which only 80,000 were permitted. A day after the stampede in Phulrai village at a congregation by religious preacher Bhole Baba snuffed out the lives of their loved ones, stunned families tried to come to terms with their loss dazed at how an afternoon out could have ended in such tragedy. Crowds gathered around hospitals, some looking for those missing, some there to identify bodies and others tending to the injured. The stampede took place when which took place at around 3.30 pm when Baba Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, the preacher who conducted the 'satsang', was leaving the venue with some accounts saying people slipped in the slush as they ran after the preacher's car.