Hathras stampede main accused arrested; police say he was recently contacted by political parties

Noida: Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused in the July 2 Hathras stampede that killed 121 people, was arrested from Delhi's Najafgarh area by a Special Operations Group of Hathras police, officials said on Saturday.

Madhukar, who was arrested late night on Friday, was contacted by some political parties recently, Hathras Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal said.

Agarwal said Madhukar worked as a fundraiser for events of self-styled godman Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba and collected donations. The police will apply for remand of Madhukar, he said.

"His financial transactions, money trails are being looked into, and call detail records also being checked," Agarwal added.

However, on Friday night, Madhukar's lawyer A P Singh had claimed he had surrendered to the police in Delhi, where he had come for medical treatment.

Around 2.15 pm on Saturday, Madhukar was brought by the police to the Bagla Combined District Hospital in Hathras for a medical examination amid heavy security deployment in and around the government hospital.

Madhukar had his face covered with a handkerchief and a stole tied around his head.

Madhukar, the 'mukhya sevadar' of the 'satsang' where the stampede occurred. He is the only accused named in the FIR lodged at Sikandra Rao police station in Hathras in connection with the incident.