Six sevadars arrested over Hathras stampede, Baba to be grilled if required: UP Police

HATHRAS — The Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday said they have arrested six ‘sevadars’, including two women, of the organising committee in connection with the Hathras stampede that killed 121 people.

The only accused named in the FIR is at large while preacher Surajpal, who is also known as Narayan Sakar Hari and Bhole Baba, will be questioned if required during investigation, a senior officer said.

“All six persons who have been arrested worked are ‘sevadars’ (volunteers) at the ‘satsang’,” Inspector General of Police (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur told reporters here.

“A reward of INR 1 lakh will be announced soon and non-bailable warrant (NBW) will also be issued against key accused Devprakash Madhukar,” Mathur said.

The preacher, Surajpal, was not mentioned as an accused in the FIR lodged at the local Sikandra Rau police station on Tuesday after the stampede at Phulrai village that left 121 people dead in its wake.

Those arrested have been identified by the police as Ram Ladaite (50), Upendra ingh Yadav (62), Megh Singh (61), Mukesh Kumar (38), and women Manju Yadav (30) and Manju Devi (40).

Ram Ladaite is a native of Mainpuri district while Upendra Singh Yadav is from Manipuri and the rest are local residents of Hathras.

All six were arrested on Thursday by the officials of Hathras Kotwali and Sikandra Rau police stations, the police said.

IG Mathur said, “When information regarding the arrestees was obtained through detailed enquiry, these people told during inquiry that they are members of the organising committee and work as ‘sevadars’.”

“The organisers and members gathered crowd and collected donations in the ‘satsang’ committee for cooperation,” the officer added.

The FIR was lodged on July 2 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) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).

Also read: Hathras stampede: Toll rises to 121, FIR says 2.5 lakh people in venue of 80,000