Hathras stampede: FIR details how people stopped to collect Baba's 'car tyre mud' leading to 121 deaths

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police filed an FIR on Wednesday against the organisers of the religious congregation in Hathras where 121 people died in a stampede. They are accused of concealing evidence and violating regulations by allowing 2.5 lakh attendees when only 80,000 were permitted. However, the congregation or 'satsang' conductor Jagat Guru Saakar Vishwahari has not been named in the FIR though his name is in the complaint.

Alleged Misrepresentation
According to the FIR, organisers misrepresented the number of attendees when seeking permission, failed to assist in traffic management, and obscured evidence after the stampede. The incident occurred when attendees stopped to collect mud from the path of the baba's vehicle.


The FIR apparently gave a clean chit to the police and administration, saying they did whatever possible from the available resources.

FIR against organisers
'Mukhya sevadar' Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandara Rao police station late Tuesday, a senior officer told PTI.

The FIR has been registered under the 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 officer said.

In his FIR, complainant Brijesh Pandey said the 'satsang' programe of the baba was organised between Fulrai and Mugalgarhi on GT road in Sikandarrau area by Devprakash Madhukar and others on Tuesday.

Details from the FIR
The organisers sought permission for about 80,000 people for which police and administration made arrangements.

However, over 2.5 lakh people gathered in the event. By not following the conditions of the permission, GT road witnessed traffic jam and police and administration officials were working to clear it, the FIR said.

Meanwhile, the baba, who was the main speaker of the satsang came out at about 2 pm in his vehicle and devotees starting collecting mud from there.

Due to the heavy rush of devotees, those who were lying down (for taking the mud) started getting trampled.

Those running out from the spot were stopped by stick-wielding helpers of the baba standing on the other side of a three-feet deep field filled with water and slush due to which women, children and men got crushed, it said.

Despite the pressure of the crowd, the police and administration officials did everything possible and sent the injured from the available resources to hospitals, the FIR said and added that the organisers and 'sevadars' did not cooperate.

The organisers tried to hide the actual number of people coming to the event by hiding evidence and throwing slippers and other belongings of the devotees in crops in nearby fields, the FIR said.

Inputs from agencies