India’s top opposition leader Rahul Gandhi today met family members of the 121 people killed in a stampede at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras.
Rahul, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, first made a stop at Aligarh’s Pilakhna village where he was seen talking with family members of the stampede victims. Later, he went to Hathras’ Vibhav Nagar locality and met the kin of some other victims from the district.
A majority of the victims were women. The Uttar Pradesh police yesterday arrested six members of the panel that organised the religious event addressed by preacher Bhole Baba whose real name is Suraj Pal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari, a former police constable.
Inspector General of Police (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur said yesterday that six people have been arrested in connection with the stampede and all of them are volunteers of the organisers. Main accused, Devprakash Madhukar, is absconding.
Although the preacher is not named in the FIR registered by the UP police, the police said it may question him if required. Yesterday, the police searched his Mainpuri ashram but could not find him.
The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a probe led by a retired Allahabad High Court judge into the stampede which broke out on Tuesday last.
Indian media report said Bhole Baba wallows in luxury owning at least 24 ashrams, several luxury cars and assets worth at least Rs 100 crore. He travels in a Toyota Fortuner to his religious congregations in a convoy of 15-30 vehicles. Bhole Baba lives in a plush Ashram in Mainpuri, which is built on 21 bighas of land in an expansive estate.
