Lucknow | Chaos caused after Narayan Sakaar Hari's followers were pushed by the godman's security and a "slippery slope" resulted in the stampede that killed 121 people in Hathras on Tuesday, a preliminary report by the SDM said.
The preliminary report on the stampede was submitted by Sikandra Rau sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) 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.
"A crowd of more than 2 lakh people was present in the satsang pandal. Shri Narayan Sakar Hari (Bhole Baba) reached the satsang pandal at about 12.30 pm and the program went on for 1 hour.
"After this, at about 1.40 pm, Shri Narayan Sakaar Hari (Bhole Baba) came out of the pandal to go towards Etah on National Highway-91," the preliminary report said, adding that when the godman was leaving the venue, his followers started running towards him for a 'darshan' and collect soil from around his feet.
"Satsangi women/men/children etc. started applying the dust of Baba's feet on their foreheads (while trying) to get his darshan, touch his feet and take his blessings," reads the report dated July 2.
The situation worsened when more people waiting on the divider of the road ahead began running towards his vehicle, it said.
"A large number of people were already standing on the dividers in the middle and on the sides of GT road, who started jumping from the dividers and started running towards Baba's vehicle to get his darshan.
"Then Baba's personal security personnel (Black Commandos) and sevadars started pushing and shoving the crowd themselves to stop the crowd, due to which some people fell down," the report states, adding this led to a panic and the crowd went out of control.
"Due to which the crowd ran towards the open field in front of the venue to get relief, on the other side of the road, where most of the people slipped and fell due to the wet slope while descending from the road towards the field," the report said.
Those who fell could not get up again and were run over by those coming from behind, it said.
"After this, they could not get up again and the crowd started running here and there over them," the report mentioned.
'Mukhya sevadar' Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandra Rau police station late on Tuesday, a senior officer told PTI.
Agra | Blood accumulation in the thoracic cavity due to chest injuries, asphyxia and rib injuries were the causes of death of the Hathras stampede victims whose bodies were brought to a hospital in Agra for post-mortem, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Twenty-one bodies were brought to the S N Medical College and Hospital here after the stampede at a religious congregation in Pulrai village claimed 121 lives.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Arun Srivastava said according to post-mortem reports, people died due to blood accumulation in the thoracic cavity, asphyxia and rib injuries.
He said 21 bodies of people from Mathura, Agra, Pilibhit, Kasganj and Aligarh, etc., were brought to the S N Medical College and Hospital and a team of doctors conducted autopsies.
Family members of the victims started gathering at the post-mortem house on Tuesday night as the bodies began arriving there. The bodies were handed over to the victims' family after post-mortem examination.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday announced a judicial probe into the Hathras tragedy.
Police have lodged an FIR against the organisers of the congregation, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people gathering for the event in which only 80,000 were permitted.
Agra | Two congregations of religious preacher Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba in this district have been cancelled after the stampede incident in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras that claimed 121 lives, officials said on Wednesday.
One of the 'Satsang Sabhas' was supposed to be held from July 4 to 11 in Saiyan and the other from July 13 to 23 in Shastripuram.
DCP (West) Sonam Kumar said, "Permission for 'satsang sabha' of Bhole Baba in Agra district's Saiyan has been cancelled after the Hathras incident. It was to be held from July 4 to 11."
"Another event at Shastripuram in Sikandra in Agra city from July 13 to 23 has also been cancelled," he added.
The developments came after the stampede at a religious congregation of Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba in Hathras district's Phulrai village on Tuesday claimed 121 lives, mostly women, as devotees suffocated to their deaths and bodies piled atop each other in the worst such tragedy in recent years.
Tens of thousands of devotees had gathered in Phulrai village for the 'satsang'.
Kasganj (UP) | A day after the stampede in Hathras where more than 100 people were killed, the residents of controversial preacher Bhole Baba's native village Bahadurnagar in Kasganj district praised him for never asking for any donation or "chadhava" (offerings) from anyone.
Baba Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, used to work in the police department. However, he left his job and became a religious preacher after he discovered that the people got attached to his ideas and congregated for his 'satsang' (religious congregations).
Earlier, he used to conduct 'satsang' at his village Dham under Patiyali tehsil but he stopped after the programmes started getting crowded and the poor people's crops were getting ruined.
The residents of his village said the preacher never asked for donations or "chadhava" from anyone.
When the PTI Videos team asked how Baba made a 'Bhavya Dham', the villagers said it was built out of the donations he received from the devotees, and added that he has not asked for anything from them.
The women residents of his village said Baba's conduct was very good and he only talked about things related to God.
Dhan Singh and Mohit Kumar said they live near the ashram.
Dhan Singh told PTI Videos that "till now nothing untoward had happened in Bhole Baba's satsang. Bahut badhiya mahaul hota tha unke satsang ka (The atmosphere in his 'satsang' used to be very nice)".
Jay Kumar said he is from Baba's birthplace at Bahadurnagar) and the people liked him for his religious sermons. Lakhs of people gather at his 'satsang' but such an incident had never happened.
Jay Kumar heaped lavish praise on Baba and said people were frequent visitors to his 'satsang'.
Jagjivan Ram alias Govind said Baba had started 'satsang' from Agra where he was posted in the police.
The locals said Baba is more than 60 of age and does not have any children.
They said he had adopted a girl, who died around 16-17 years back. 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 said.
Baba is said to be present an ashram in Mainpuri. A large number of police personnel has been deployed outside the ashram a day after a stampede at his 'satsang' in Hathras district that killed 121 people and injured 31.
However, the officials remained tight-lipped when asked if Baba was inside the ashram.
Some police sources said he indeed was inside.
Police personnel, pooled from several police stations, have been deployed outside the ashram at Bichhawan here and no one, including the media, is allowed inside.
