After a tragic stampede claimed the lives of 121 individuals at his 'satsang' in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, earlier this week, Bhole Baba, a former constable who now styles himself as a godman, expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
"May God give us the strength to bear this pain. Please keep faith in the government and the administration. I have faith that anyone who created the chaos would not be spared. Through my lawyer AP Singh, I have requested the members of the committee to stand with the bereaved families and the injured and help them throughout their lives," said 'Bhole Baba' in a video statement.
The assembly of followers, known as 'satsang', drew in as many as 250,000 devotees. The stampede was triggered when participants began to pick up dust from the ground where Bhole Baba's vehicle had passed.
This disorderly situation caused men, women, and children to stumble over one another, resulting in multiple fatalities. According to the police, the crowd far surpassed the 80,000-person limit imposed by the authorities.
Bhole Baba, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari, had remained elusive since the stampede. His attorney, AP Singh, had stated yesterday that he would collaborate with the investigation.
"We have district-wise lists of the victims, and Narayan Sakar Hari's trust would take care of the education, health, and wedding expenses of the families of those who died in the stampede," Singh said.
According to the Hathras Police, Delhi police have detained Devprakash Madhukar, the 'chief volunteer' of the 'spiritual gathering'. Madhukar's arrest brings the total number of individuals detained in the situation to seven.
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