SIT report in Hathras stampede case
Hathras stampede Case: The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday suspended the local Deputy District Magistrate (SDM), Police Circle Officer (CO) and four others based on the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the Hathras stampede case. The report has not ruled out a big conspiracy behind the incident. According to official sources, the report also talks about negligence at the level of the local administration due to which this incident happened on July 2. The report blames the organizers for the stampede and claims that they did not make any arrangements to manage the crowd. According to official sources, the district administration has also been held accountable in the report.
The police-administration did not take the event seriously
The report says that the local police and administration did not take the event seriously and they failed to give proper information to senior officials. 121 people lost their lives in the stampede during the satsang of self-proclaimed Baba Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba in Fullerai village of Hathras district. Based on the SIT report, the government suspended six people including SDM, CO, Tehsildar, Thana In-charge, Chowki In-charge, holding them responsible for negligence in discharging their duties. Officials said that in its preliminary investigation, the SIT has held the event organizers mainly responsible for the stampede on the basis of eyewitnesses and other evidence. The SIT has not ruled out any big conspiracy behind the incident and has stated the need for a thorough investigation.
Baba’s lawyer claims that some people sprayed poisonous substance
On July 6, the self-styled godman’s lawyer had claimed that the stampede was caused by some unidentified people spraying a poisonous substance. The inquiry committee also found the event organisers and tehsil-level police and administrative officials guilty. The committee said that the local SDM, CO, tehsildar, police station in-charge and outpost in-charge were guilty of negligence in discharging their duties. The report said that the sub-district magistrate of Sikandrarao gave permission for the event without inspecting the venue and did not even inform senior officials.
Recommend action against officials
He said the officials did not take the event seriously. The SIT recommended action against the concerned officials posted in Sikandrarao, including the SDM, Circle Officer, Sikandrarao police station in-charge, Tehsildar and police post in-charges of Kachora and Pora. The SIT report said, “The organisers took permission to hold the event by hiding facts. The conditions imposed for the permission were not followed. The organisers invited an unexpected crowd but did not make adequate and smooth arrangements.” According to the report, people associated with the organising committee have been found guilty of creating chaos. It said they hired volunteers without proper police verification.
The organizing committee misbehaved with the police
It said that the organizing committee misbehaved with the police. Attempts were made to prevent the local police from inspecting the venue. The report also said that the satsangkarta or preacher (Bhole Baba) was allowed to meet the crowd without any security arrangements. The report said that no barricades or dedicated routes were arranged in view of the huge crowd and when the accident happened, the organizing committee members fled from the spot.
The SIT comprised Agra Zone Additional Director General of Police Anupam Kulshreshtha and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner Chaitra V. It was formed immediately after the stampede incident. The SIT investigated the matter by inspecting the spot on July 2, 3 and 5. During the investigation, statements of 125 people including administrative and police officials, general public and eyewitnesses were recorded. Apart from this, copies of news published regarding the incident, videography done on the spot, photographs and videos were taken into cognizance. To investigate the Hathras stampede case, a separate three-member judicial commission has also been constituted under the chairmanship of retired Allahabad High Court judge Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, which includes retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Hemant Rao and retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Bhavesh Kumar Singh.
blamed the organisers
Earlier, government agencies, including the police, had blamed the organisers for mismanagement of the event. It was said that more than 2.50 lakh people had attended the satsang against the permission of 80,000 people. So far, nine people, including the main accused Devprakash Madhukar, have been arrested in this case. Madhukar was the main organiser and fundraiser of the satsang of self-styled Baba Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba in Phulrai village on July 2. The self-styled Baba was not named as an accused in the FIR lodged on July 2 at the local Sikandrarao police station.