Hathras stampede LIVE updates: Baba Narayan Sakar Hari issues first statement day after tragedy

Uttar Pradesh Governor constitutes a three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava (II), Allahabad High Court, to ensure comprehensiveness of the subject matter and transparency in the inquiry.

The Commission will investigate the incident that occurred on 2 July and after investigation, a report will be submitted to the State Government.

Baba Narayan Sakar Hari has issued first statement on the tragedy and blamed 'anti-social' elements in which over 120 people were killed after a religious congregation. 

NCW chief Rekha Sharma on Hathras incident | "I have come here for fact-finding and I am speaking with the administration. If I feel that the administration's report is lacking in something, we (NCW) would do our own fact-finding. Rs 2 Lakh compensation has been announced. It is sad that women are not stepping forward to speak...You can imagine the level of illiteracy that even now the families are not stepping forward..."

Uttar Pradesh: National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma visits the site of Hathras stampede incident. Yesterday, 121 people died and 28 people got injured in a stampede during a Satsang organised in Hathras.

Japan expresses grief over Hathras incident | "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."

The victims were part of the crowd which had gathered near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area of Hathras for the 'satsang' by religious preacher Baba Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba.

The death toll in the stampede that broke out in a 'satsang' in Hathras rose to 121 on Wednesday and police 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.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Hathras stampede | "Some people have the tendency to politicise such sad and painful incidents. These people have the nature of 'chori bhi aur seenazori bhi'. Everyone knows with whom the gentleman's (preacher) photos are and with whom he has political connections. You must have seen that during the rallies in the past days, where was the stampede and who was behind it? It is necessary for us to know about it. Those who play with the lives of innocent people will be held accountable for this..."

Yogi said, "I visited the site of the incident to see the initial arrangements of the causes of the accident and our 3 ministers were camping there since yesterday. The Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police are also camping here since yesterday. Senior officers of the police and administration are already there. Further action is also being taken in the direction of fixing the accountability of those responsible for this entire incident, in which their proceedings will now begin in different districts and after the initial investigation, we will work to take further action forward..."

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said "Some people have the tendency to politicise such sad and painful incidents. These people have the nature of 'chori bhi aur seenazori bhi'. Everyone knows with whom the gentleman's (preacher) photos are and with whom he has political connections. You must have seen that during the rallies in the past days, where was the stampede and who was behind it? It is necessary for us to know about it. Those who play with the lives of innocent people will be held accountable for this..."

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath chairs a meeting with officials regarding the Hathras Stampede Accident.

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said, "It's a very unfortunate incident. But more importantly, the casual attitude of the Uttar Pradesh government and the central government as if nothing has happened, is pathetic. The prime minister has time to mock the Congress and the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi but has no time for all the real issues that are plaguing the country. Absolutely zero interest to show sympathy for the loss of lives whether it's a railway accident or a stampede, the prime minister is happy in his ivory tower..."

Sikandra Rao SDM writes to Hathras DM, "Narayan Hari Sarkar reached the venue at 12.30 and the event went on for an hour. When the baba left the venue, people started rushing towards him to seek his blessings. A large no. of people were already standing on the divider at the GT road and started running towards Baba. To prevent the crowd from reaching Baba, his private security and 'Sevadar' pushed some people and they fell down. The crowd went out of control and panicked. To get relief from this, people rushed towards the open field nearby where multiple people slipped on a slope and the people started running over them."

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath leaves from Hathras government hospital after meeting and inquiring about the health of the persons injured in the stampede incident.

JMM MP Mahua Maji said, "...When people more than the venue's capacity had gathered there, then the administration should have taken cognizance...The victims' should definitely get the compensation...The CM of Uttar Pradesh should resign..."

Congress leader & RS MP Pramod Tiwari said, "I pay homage to the people who lost their lives in the Hathras incident, I have my sympathy with the families affected. A big question exists, the permission for 80,000 people to gather, sought and permitted. Were there enough facilities available for them to sit and exit? Many of them were the bread earners of their families and at least Rs 25 lakhs should be provided to each one of them... The Union Home Minister should state the parliament regarding this and a judicial inquiry should be set up."

Akhilesh Yadav said, "It is a very painful incident. We are saddened by this incident. The Uttar Pradesh government and administration are fully responsible for this incident. The loss of lives in this incident is due to the negligence of the government. Some injured persons died due to lack of proper treatment. The BJP govt is responsible for this incident...This is not the first incident where negligence was seen. SOPs for large gatherings should be made to ensure that such incidents do not occur again"

Asphyxia due to compression was the leading cause of death among the victims of the Hathras stampede who were brought to the district hospital in neighbouring Etah on Tuesday, a senior doctor said.

The FIR apparently gave a clean chit to the police and administration, saying they did whatever possible from the available resources.

Organisers hid evidence and flouted conditions with 2.5 lakh people gathering for the event of which only 80,000 were permitted.

UP Minister Sandeep Singh said, "So far 121 people have died in this incident...the injured are undergoing treatment. The CM will visit Hathras to meet the injured and their families. Those responsible for the incident will be arrested." Strict action will be taken against him. This is not a small incident."

Public interest litigation has (PIL) been filed in the Supreme Court regarding the stampede in Hathras. In the petition, filed by Supreme Court lawyer Vishal Tiwari, a demand has been made to conduct an investigation by a 5-member expert committee under the supervision of a retired judge of the Supreme Court. A status report has been demanded from the UP government on this incident. The petition demands legal action against the people and officials responsible for the incident. A demand has alsobeen made to make a guidelines for organising such functions. 

According to the information, the Chief Minister is expected to reach Hathras around 11 am. He has also ordered a thorough investigation into the incident to determine whether it was an "accident or a conspiracy." READ STORY

UP Police is also searching for SK Singh, manager of the trust built on Baba's property in his native village. Singh has switched off his mobile phone. Police are continuously trying to contact him.

In May 2022, when the Coronavirus wave was going on in the country, Bhole Baba had organised a satsang in Farrukhabad. While the district administration had allowed only 50 people to attend the satsang, more than 50 thousand people attended it. At that time also the district administration had filed a report against the organizers.

-Kumar Sonu

Baba had kept male and female guards for his safety. The security personnel were named Narayani Sena

The FIR has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 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), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).

The Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation in Hathras. 'Mukhya sevadar' Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandara Rao police station.

The death count in the devastating stampede at a religious congregation in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh has increased to 121 and has left 28 injured.