Hathras Stampede: Uttar Pradesh government suspends six officials for ‘negligence’, while SIT report points to ‘big conspiracy’

Hathras stampede: Following the report submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday in the Hathras stampede case, the Yogi Adityanath-led government has suspended six officials for “negligence” in the performance of their duties.

This action came after the SIT recommended action against these officials while investigating the tragic incident of July 2 in which 121 people, mostly women and children, lost their lives. Moreover, the SIT report also mentioned that a “larger conspiracy” behind the incident could not be ruled out.

The tragic Hathras stampede occurred during the satsang of self-proclaimed guru Suraj Pal, alias Bhole Baba, in Fulari village in Uttar Pradesh. The tragic incident occurred while Baba was leaving and resulted in the loss of innocent lives.

Hathras Stampede: 6 officials suspended

The Uttar Pradesh government reacted quickly and suspended six officials, including the Sub-District Magistrate (SDM), Circle Officer (CO), Tehsildar, Station Officer and two Chowki Incharges of Sikandrarao.

This decision is in response to the preliminary findings of the SIT report submitted on Tuesday, which found that these officials were negligent in the discharge of their duties.

The SIT report highlighted that the SDM had given permission for the event without inspecting the venue or informing higher authorities, thereby holding the programme organiser, local police and the tehsil-level administration responsible for their roles in the unfortunate incident.

Hathras Stampede: Great Conspiracy

During the satsang of the self-proclaimed guru Surajpal alias Narayan Saakar Hari alias Bhole Baba, a tragic mass panic occurred in which 121 people lost their lives.

The initial investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) placed blame for the incident primarily on the organizers, citing witness statements and evidence.

However, the SIT does not rule out the possibility of a larger conspiracy and stresses the need for a comprehensive investigation. “The SIT does not rule out a larger conspiracy behind the incident and stresses the need for a thorough investigation,” officials said.

In a surprising twist, the man of God’s lawyer claimed on July 6 that the stampede was caused by a “poisonous substance” sprayed by unknown assailants, suggesting a possible sinister motive behind the tragedy.

Hathras Stampede: Accused

Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused in the Hathras stampede case, was remanded in custody for 14 days after being produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court last week.

Madhukar was on the run and the police had offered a reward of ₹1 lakh for information leading to his arrest.

Police arrested Madhukar on July 5 in the capital Delhi. According to police, two other accused, Ramprakash Shakya and Sanju Yadav, were also arrested in the case.