Six Arrested Following Deadly Stampede At UP Satsang; Rahul Gandhi Visits Affected Families

Days after a devastating stampede at a satsang in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, claimed 121 lives, the UP Police arrested six members of the organising committee associated with preacher Bhole Baba on Thursday. All six individuals, including two women, served as 'sevadars' (volunteers) at the satsang.

Police have been stationed outside the ashram since the tragic event occurred. On Friday, Rahul Gandhi visited Hathras to meet the families of the victims and later traveled to Aligarh to meet other affected families.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited Hathras on Friday following the stampede that resulted in 121 fatalities. He interacted with the victims' families, expressing concerns over administrative deficiencies and urging Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to provide generous compensation to the affected families.

The Uttar Pradesh police arrested six members of the satsang organising committee on Thursday. The key accused, named in the FIR, remains at large. Surajpal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari or Bhole Baba, will be questioned if necessary, according to a senior officer.

Inspector General of Police (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur confirmed that the arrested individuals worked as 'sevadars' at the satsang. The police plan to announce a Rs 1 lakh reward and issue a non-bailable warrant (NBW) for the main accused, Devprakash Madhukar. The arrested individuals were identified as Ram Ladaite (50), Upendra Singh Yadav (62), Megh Singh (61), Mukesh Kumar (38), and two women, Manju Yadav (30) and Manju Devi (40).

On Wednesday night, the police entered the ashram of religious preacher Jagat Guru Saakar Vishwahari Bhole Baba in Mainpuri but found him absent. A police official mentioned that the visit was to check security arrangements. The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a three-member judicial commission, led by a retired high court judge, to investigate the Hathras tragedy and explore the possibility of a "conspiracy" behind the stampede.