The horrific stampede which claimed 116 lives in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras on Tuesday occurred at a satsang organised for a self-professed preacher known as Bhole Baba.
Not much is known about him but various news outlets are reporting that he had quit his 18-year career with the state police and started organising satsang (religious congregations), expressing his wish to be known as Narain Sakaar Hari or Sakar Vishwa Hari Baba.
People were soon attracted to his teachings and over time thousands used to attend the statsangs where Baba, said to be in his fifties and almost always dressed in white, often had his wife accompany him.
Belonging to a village in Kasganj district of Aligarh division, he has denied ever having a guru and reportedly claimed to have received direct communication from god.
With more than 3,000 followers on Facebook, he also likes to stay away from the media and has had MPs and MLAs attend his congregations.
The reason for the stampede, according to Inspector General Aligarh Range Shalabh Mathur, could have been the warm and humid weather conditions because of which people felt suffocated at the gathering.
As soon as the satsang ended, women followers with children appeared to have tried to rush out into the open, causing a stampede, in which many fell down and were crushed to death.
A young girl, Jyoti, admitted at the hospital said she had tried to run out with the others but the entrance had been blocked by several motorcycles.
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