4-7-2024 (NEW DELHI) Indian authorities have apprehended six individuals in relation to the tragic stampede that claimed 121 lives at a Hindu religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh earlier this week. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday in Phulrai Mughal Garhi village, Hathras district, has sent shockwaves through the nation and raised serious questions about event management and crowd control.
The gathering, centred around spiritual leader Suraj Pal Singh, known to his followers as “Bhole Baba”, had drawn an estimated crowd of 250,000 devotees. This figure far exceeded the 80,000-person limit stipulated in the event’s official permit, according to initial police reports.
Inspector-General Shalabh Mathur of the Uttar Pradesh police force told journalists that the arrested individuals, four men and two women, were associates of Baba and had played key roles in organising the ill-fated event. “When the stampede situation happened, all these people who organised [the event] fled from the spot,” Mathur stated.
The stampede unfolded on Tuesday afternoon as attendees were exiting the event ground, which was situated adjacent to a highway. Eyewitness accounts suggest that chaos erupted when some devotees attempted to approach Baba’s vehicle but were restrained by his aides. In the ensuing confusion, many fell and were tragically trampled underfoot. Others, in their desperate attempts to escape, stumbled on uneven terrain in nearby fields and were unable to regain their footing amidst the surging crowd.
The devastating toll includes 112 women and seven children among the deceased. Authorities have confirmed that all victims have been identified and their remains returned to their families.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Baba attributed the catastrophe to “anti-social elements”, though he did not provide further details. His lawyer, AP Singh, who has also taken on the defence of the six arrestees, expressed scepticism about the police action. “Those who actually caused the stampede have run away,” Singh asserted, suggesting that the true culprits remain at large.
This tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the potential dangers associated with mass gatherings in India. Stampedes and similar accidents at religious events are not uncommon in the country, with many experts pointing to inadequate crowd management as a recurring issue.
