Lucknow: Self-styled godman Surajpal alias 'Bhole Baba' on Thursday appeared before a judicial commission here probing the July 2 stampede at his congregation in Hathras which had claimed 122 lives.
Bhole Baba was presented before the panel by the police under tight security at the secretariat in Hazratganj, Lucknow.
The police have given Bhole Baba a clean chit in the case, while the judicial panel continues to investigate the matter.
"The judicial commission's office is here (Lucknow) and today Narayan Sakar Hari (Surajpal) was called for his statement," Surajpal's lawyer A P Singh told reporters.
"We have full faith in the Uttar Pradesh Police, the judiciary, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre. Justice will be done with us," Singh said.
"We had promised that whenever any probe panel or investigation agency would call Narayan Sakar Hari, he would turn up," he added.
"He was summoned today so he has come here. Whatever he is asked about, he would give his statement," he said.
Singh said the Uttar Pradesh government has provided Rs 2 lakh as financial assistance to the bereaved kin and the Samajwadi Party, the main opposition party in the state, has also extended support of Rs one lakh to each of the victims' families.
Following the incident, an FIR was lodged in the matter on July 2 at Sikandrarao police station under the 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). Dev Prakash Madhukar was named the main accused in the FIR.
The Yogi Adityanath government immediately constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. The SIT included the Commissioner of Aligarh and ADG Agra Zone. Later, a judicial commission was also formed to investigate it.
ADG Agra Zone Anupam Kulshrestha acknowledged that a larger-than-expected crowd had gathered at the Bhole Baba 'Satsang'.
The government-established Judicial Inquiry Commission, chaired by retired judge Brajesh Srivastava, with former IPS Bhavesh Kumar and former IAS Hemant Rao as members, is currently investigating the matter. The commission is expected to submit its report by the end of the month. (With PTI Inputs)
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