Sevadars who were managing crowd fleed FIRST: CM Yogi Adityanath on Hathras stampede

New Delhi: In a recent press conference, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath focused on the state's priority on rescue operations following the tragic stampede in Hathras. The incident has claimed the lives of 121 devotees, with victims hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Out of the 121 deceased, six were from other states. Additionally, 31 injured individuals are receiving treatment, with most reportedly out of danger.

Eyewitness accounts and cause of the stampede

CM Yogi Adityanath shared insights from eyewitnesses, revealing that the stampede occurred after a satsang program concluded. As the preachers descended from the stage, many women surged forward to touch them. The sevadars (volunteers) intervened to stop them, leading to chaos and the ensuing tragedy. It was also reported that the sevadars initially restricted administrative personnel from entering the site.

Yogi takes stake of situation

Following the incident, CM Yogi Adityanath visited the site and the hospital to speak with the injured. An FIR was registered late Tuesday night against the main sevadar, Devprakash Madhukar, and his associates, charging them with culpable homicide and other offenses. Notably, Baba Bholenath was not named among the accused.

जनपद हाथरस में पत्रकार बंधुओं से वार्ता... https://t.co/aegJal8lyf

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) July 3, 2024

SIT formed to look into the matter

CM Yogi Adityanath criticized individuals who exploit such tragedies for political gain. He stressed the need for accountability, drawing parallels with past incidents of stampedes at political rallies. The Chief Minister announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident thoroughly, highlighting the need to examine multiple aspects of the tragedy.

The Chief Minister convened a meeting with senior officials, including the Chief Secretary, DGP Bhupendra Chaudhary, Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan Singh, Asim Arun, Anil Kumar, DM, and SP of Hathras. Discussions centered on the accident's causes and preventive measures for the future.

Devotees from various districts died in stampede

The stampede victims included devotees from various districts of Uttar Pradesh such as Hathras, Badaun, Kasganj, Aligarh, Lalitpur, Shahjahanpur, Agra, Firozabad, and Pilibhit, as well as individuals from six other states. An FIR was lodged based on a complaint by Sub Inspector Brijesh Pandey, in charge of the Pora outpost at Sikandrarao police station in Hathras. The charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, wrongful restraint, disobedience of public servant orders, and destruction of evidence.