Hathras stampede: Surajpal appears before judicial panel in Lucknow

Lucknow: Self-styled godman Surajpal alias 'Bhole Baba' on Thursday appeared before a judicial commission here probing the July 2 stampede at his congregation in Hathras which had claimed 121 lives.

Surajpal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari, is not mentioned as an accused in the FIR that was lodged after the stampede at Fulrai village in Sikandra Rao area of Hathras district. He is slated to record his statement before the commission.

On July 3, the Uttar Pradesh government had formed a three-member judicial commission headed by a retired high court judge to probe the Hathras tragedy and to look into the possibility of a conspiracy behind the stampede. This was separate from a police investigation launched into the case.

"The judicial commission's office is here (Lucknow) and today Narayan Sakar Hari (Surajpal) was called for his statement here," Surajpal's lawyer A P Singh told reporters.

"We have full faith in the UP Police, the judiciary, the UP government and the Centre. Justice will be done with us," Singh said, adding, "We had promised that whenever any probe panel or investigation agency would call Narayan Sakar Hari, he would turn up."

"He was summoned today so he has come here. Whatever he is asked about, he would give his statement," he said.

Singh said the Uttar Pradesh government has provided Rs 2 lakh financial assistance to the bereaved kin and the Samajwadi Party, the main opposition party in the state, has also extended a support of Rs 1 lakh to each of the victims' families.

The police had arrested 11 accused involved in organising the programme of the self-styled godman. One of the accused, Manju Yadav, is currently out on bail following orders from the Allahabad High Court. Surajpal was not mentioned as accused in the case, according to the FIR.

A total of 121 people, mostly women, died in the stampede after a 'satsang' of Surajpal alias Bhole Baba alias Narayan Sakar Hari on July 2 in Fulrai village in Hathras' Sikandra Rao area.

Government agencies, including police, have blamed the organisers for mismanagement at the event, noting the crowd size exceeded to over 2.50 lakh from the permitted 80,000, even though the lawyer of the 'godman' claimed that 'some poisonous substance' sprayed by 'some unidentified men' triggered the stampede.

The FIR was lodged in the matter on July 2 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 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) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).