New Delhi, July 6
Dev Prakash Madhukar, the main accused in Hathras stampede that claimed 121 lives, surrendered before the police in Delhi after which he was taken into custody by the Uttar Pradesh police.
Madhukar, the 'mukhya sevadar' of the satsang where the stampede occurred, is the only accused named in the FIR. The police have arrested six other persons in the case so far.
The Uttar Pradesh Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to Madhukar's arrest.
Bhole Baba, whose original name is Suraj Pal Singh, in a message, said he was depressed over the Hathras stampede incident and asked the affected families to have faith in the judiciary.
In a video statement, Bhole Baba, whose original name is Suraj Pal Singh, said he was saddened by the July 2 stampede incident. "I am deeply saddened after 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," he said.
The Uttar Pradesh government's Special Investigation Team probing the Hathras stampede has recorded statements of 90 people so far. The SIT is headed by senior IPS officer Anupam Kulshrestha.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was apprised of the initial SIT report on the stampede.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, met the family members of the victims of the stampede. Before meeting family members in Hathras, Gandhi made a stop at Aligarh and met the kin of victims from the district and urged the CM for maximum compensation for the victims.
