New Delhi: With the toll in Tuesday’s Hathras stampede at a prayer meet organised by godman Bhole Baba rising to 121, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has vowed not to spare the culprits.
The organisers of the ‘satsang’ have been accused of trying to cover up the incident.
An FIR has been lodged against a close aide — ‘mukhya sewadar — of the self-styled godman, and organisers of the event under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 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), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).
The FIR hasn’t named Bhole Baba as an accused.
According to NDTV Bhole Baba, whose real name is Suraj Pal, is known for his controversial ‘satsangs’ and has several cases against him, including allegations of sexual assault.
There have been multiple cases against him under various jurisdictions including Agra, Etawah, Kasganj, Farrukhabad, and Rajasthan.
He even had to serve time in prison.
However, Bhole Baba remains an extremely popular spiritual figure and draws thousands of devotees who seek his blessings and divine intervention.
Suraj Pal, who was born in Kasganj’s Bahadur Nagar, worked in the state police department, before facing legal troubles in 1997 related to allegations of sexual assault.
After being released from prison, Suraj Pal reinvented himself as ‘Saakar Vishwa Hari Baba’, setting up an ashram in his ancestral village.
Such is his power, a stampede took place as frenzied devotees rushed to collect dust from under the godman’s feet.
A video on social media shows hundreds of devotees running behind his car to gather dust from where he left the satsang.