A special team investigating the tragic stampede during a religious gathering in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, has said that a call to gather “Charan Raj” (holy dust from the feet) of spiritual leader Bhole Baba caused the chaos. This stampede occurred on July 2, leading to 121 deaths.
The team, led by former judge Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, dismissed claims from organizers that a harmful spray was used to start the stampede. They believe that rumors about the spray were made up by Bhole Baba’s followers to distract from the real cause of the stampede.
The investigation report, which is 1,680 pages long, was shared with the Uttar Pradesh government and discussed in the state assembly. According to the report, many eyewitnesses said that Bhole Baba promised that gathering the Charan Raj would solve all their problems. When people rushed to collect it, they lost control, leading to the stampede.
The commission also noted that there were too many people at the event, far exceeding the number of attendees allowed. No announcements were made to help manage the crowd. Eyewitnesses reported that the crowd was three times bigger than expected, making it hard for Bhole Baba to leave the venue.
The report criticized the event’s management, saying that the organizers kept police and officials away and did not let the media cover the event. People responsible for managing the crowd were not known to the authorities, making the situation more dangerous.
The commission suggests that there may have been a plan behind the stampede to divert attention. They recommend a deeper investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, Bhole Baba’s lawyer, AP Singh, continues to claim that unknown individuals sprayed a harmful substance.
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