The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday arrested two more people in connection with the Hathras stampede which claimed as many as 121 lives on July 2. The arrested duo has been identified as Durgesh Kumar Saxena and Dalbeer Singh who were 'sevadars' (volunteers) at the satsang. According to the information, both had an extremely active role, like the other sevadars, in organising this satsang and were responsible for its management. Both were arrested and presented in court on Monday. So far, 11 accused, including the chief volunteer Dev Prakash Madhukar, have been arrested in this case.
Audio clip of conversation between a volunteer and his friend
Meanwhile, an audio clip has also surfaced wherein a volunteer of self-styled godman Bhole Baba is having a conversation with his friend. The volunteer's friend says that so many people died today, to which the volunteer replies that there is no problem; this incident was bound to happen. "Baba had said that those who do not worship him would face such consequences. The disaster occurred, and people started falling on their own. Baba had said that if you leave, you will be saved... nothing like this has happened before," the volunteer said.
Everything happened according to Baba's will. If you fear Baba and worship him, you will be saved otherwise you will die. Baba can even bring people back to life... there is nothing to worry about. Worship Hari Narayan Baba," he added.
The audio clip of approximately 4.39 minutes is going viral, in which the volunteer's friend says that 300 people have died. In response, the volunteer says that Baba had said that those who need to be killed will be killed even at their homes, and those who need to be saved will be sent away. "There is no need to panic; we have seen more bodies in Rajasthan. Everything is as per Baba's will," he added. However, it is still unclear who this volunteer is and whose audio it is. The police are investigating this viral audio.
Hathras stampede claims 121 lives
According to the Uttar Pradesh government, the majority of the 121 individuals who died in the stampede during the 'satsang' in Sikandra Rao have been identified. The event drew devotees from various districts across Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states. Efforts are being made to identify the remaining bodies, officials said. They said the tragedy occurred when devotees tried to get a glimpse of Bhole Baba as the event ended.
