Hathras mishap main accused Dev Prakash Madhukar, who is the primary aide of self-style godman Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba was arrested from Delhi on Friday. Hathras SP Nipun Agarwal said Madhukar was arrest from Delhi and will be brought to Hathras to be presented in the court. Earlier this week, 121 devotees, mostly women, lost their lives in a tragic stampede at a 'satsang' event held in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
Madhukar, who was the 'mukhya sevadar' of the ‘satsang’, is the only accused named in the FIR lodged at Sikandra Rao police station in Hathras in connection with the incident.
In a recorded message, Madhukar's lawyer A P Singh said that Madhukar had surrendered in Delhi, where he was undergoing treatment.
"Today, we have surrendered Devprakash Madhukar, who has been called the main organiser in the FIR in the Hathras case, after calling the police, the SIT and the STF in Delhi since he was undergoing treatment here," Singh said.
"We had promised we would not apply for anticipatory bail since we did no wrong. What is our crime? He is an engineer and a heart patient. Doctors said his condition is stable now and so we surrendered today to join the probe," Singh told the media.
A reward of Rs 1 lakh was offered by the police for any information that could lead to his arrest. Along with Madhukar, six others were also arrested, including two female volunteers from the organising committee of the 'satsang' event.
An estimated 250,000 devotees gathered at the 'satsang' event, leading to a tragic stampede. The chaos ensued when attendees tried to collect dust from the ground where Bhole Baba's car had passed, resulting in men, women, and children pushing and falling over each other, leading to multiple fatalities. Authorities reported that the gathering far surpassed the authorised limit of 80,000 people.
Singh further said that the police are allowed to record his statement or inquire with him, but they must be mindful of his health condition and ensure his well-being. He emphasized that they have not taken any steps like filing anticipatory bail or approaching the court, which could be perceived as an attempt to evade responsibility. Addressing concerns about Madhukar's whereabouts, Singh stated that he will cooperate with the investigation and provide insight on any "anti-social elements" involved in the event.