Hathras tragedy: Permission was given for 80,000 people, lakhs of people attended event; mad rush for dust from tyres triggered stampede

HATHRAS: The stampede in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh that killed 121 people was triggered by a mad rush for dust, a report said. The laxity of the organizers and the shortage of police personnel in the place also contributed to the tragedy. The stampede took place during the satsang (prayer meeting) addressed by self-styled godman Suraj Pal aka Narayan Saakar Hari.

After the satsang, when Suraj Pal was leaving, there was a rush among the followers to collect dust stirred up by the tyres of his car. As the godman's security guards started pushing the followers, some people fell on the ground and were trampled. A chaos ensued, with many people fleeing towards the open field and falling and others running over them. According to the police FIR, the organisers of the event had sought permission for a gathering of 80,000 people. However, a crowd of over 2.5 lakh attended the event.

The FIR stated that Suraj Pal's aides were carrying sticks and stopped the people from approaching the godman. This resulted in a heavy rush. There were only 40 policemen to provide security in the event attended by lakhs. 121 people died in the accident while 28 people were injured and are undergoing treatment. No one has been arrested in the incident yet.
Suraj Pal has not been named an accused in the case. However, his main aide Devprakash Madhukar has been named as an accused in the case.

The accused has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and wrongful restraint, among others. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and others expressed their condolences. Rahul requested the workers of the INDIA Alliance to engage in rescue and relief work.