The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested six persons, including two women, who had organised the religious gathering in Hathras district where a stampede on Tuesday killed 121 persons and injured several others, ANI reported.
The incident took place at a gathering convened by religious preacher Narayan Saakar Hari, popularly known as Bhole Baba, at Fulrai village in Sikandrarau tehsil.
The six persons arrested on Thursday are Ram Ladete from Mainpuri, Upendra Singh Yadav from Firozabad, Mek Singh from Hathras, and Manju Yadav, Mukesh Kumar and Manju Devi from Sikandrarao, Aligarh Inspector-General of Police Shalabh Mathur said, The Indian Express reported.
Mathur said that all six were members of the event’s organising committee and worked as “sevadars [religious volunteers]”, according to ANI. “When the stampede occurred the six servitors who are now arrested had run away from the site,” he added.
The police officer also announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Devprakash Madhukar, who is the chief sevadar and the main accused person in the case. “Soon, a non-bailable warrant will be issued against him,” added Mathur.
Mathur said that the bodies of all 121 victims had been identified and their post-mortems completed. “We will also investigate if this incident occurred due to a conspiracy,” he said.
On Wednesday, a lawyer representing the preacher claimed that the stampede was caused by “anti-social elements”.
However, a first information report and a report by a local sub-divisional magistrate said that the incident took place when several of the leader’s followers rushed towards him as he was leaving the venue. The devotees were trying to get a closer glimpse of Hari and collect his “charan raj”, or soil from the ground where he had walked.
The first information does not name Hari, who is currently said to be missing.
“Some anti-social elements hatched a conspiracy,” the preacher’s lawyer, AP Singh said. “When Narayan Saakar Hari left the venue, his vehicles left, our volunteers and followers failed to understand what was happening due to the conspiracy. This was done as per a plan and should be investigated.”
A crowd of about 2.5 lakh persons from several districts and nearby states had gathered at the venue for the event on Tuesday, according to the first information report.
Hari has demanded an investigation into the matter and is ready to cooperate with the state administration and police, Singh said.
On the same day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath announced a judicial inquiry of the matter, headed by a retired High Court judge.
Adityanath also announced a total of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the dead from the Centre and state governments, and Rs 1 lakh each to the injured.
The children of the dead would also be provided education under the Uttar Pradesh Mukhyamantri Balseva Yojana, the chief minister added.
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