The death toll in the Hathras stampede at a religious congregation in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, has risen to 121. According to the Relief Commissioner’s Office, the number of people injured in Tuesday’s incident stands at 28, news agency PTI reported.
Of the total fatalities, 19 have not yet been identified, he said, PTI reported.
According to officials, of the 28 injured, six people are undergoing treatment at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh; six people are admitted at Deen Dayal Hospital in Aligarh; nine people are undergoing treatment at Bagla Hospital in Hathras; one at Agra SN Medical College, while six are undergoing treatment at Etah Medical College in Hathras, ANI reported.
The FIR claims that the organizers concealed evidence and violated the conditions
Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday filed an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation in Hathras where 121 people were killed in the Hathras stampede, accusing them of hiding evidence and violating conditions with 2.5 lakh people gathering for the event where only 80,000 were allowed, PTI reported.
However, the head of the congregation or `satsang` Jagat Guru Saakar Vishwahari has not been named in the FIR though his name is in the complaint, PTI reported.
The FIR alleged that the organisers concealed the actual number of devotees who turned up for the satsang while seeking permission, failed to cooperate in managing traffic and concealed evidence after the stampede, which broke out after people gathered there stopped to collect mud from the road on which the baba’s vehicle was passing, PTI reported.
The FIR reportedly gave the police and administration the thumbs up, saying they did everything possible with the resources available.
`Mukhya sevadar` Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at Sikandara Rao police station on Tuesday evening, a senior officer told PTI.
The FIR has been registered under 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 public servant), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the officer said, PTI reported.
In his FIR, complainant Brijesh Pandey said the baba’s satsang programme was organised between Fulrai and Mugalgarhi on GT road in Sikandarrau area by Devprakash Madhukar and others on Tuesday, PTI reported.
The organisers requested permission for around 80,000 people, which was met with a response from the police and administration.
However, over 250,000 people gathered at the event. By not following the permit conditions, the GT road was hit by a traffic jam and police and administration officials were working to clear it, the FIR said, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, the baba, who was the main speaker of the satsang, came out around 2 pm in his vehicle and the devotees started collecting mud from there.
Due to the large influx of devotees, those who were lying down (to take the mud) began to be trampled.
Those running away from the scene were stopped by the baba’s helpers carrying sticks who were standing on the other side of a metre-deep field filled with water and slush, due to which women, children and men were crushed, he said.
Despite the pressure from the crowd, the police and administration officials tried their best and sent the injured with available resources to hospitals, the FIR said, adding that the organisers and the ‘sevadars’ did not cooperate, PTI reported.
The organisers tried to conceal the actual number of people who attended the event by hiding evidence and throwing slippers and other belongings of devotees into crops in nearby fields, the FIR said.
(With contributions from PTI)
