Cops Intensify Search As Hathras Stampede Main Accused Bhole Baba Arrives at Mainpuri: Sources

Hathras:  As per sources, the main accused in the Hathras stampede mishap Bhole Baba, on Tuesday evening, arrived at a satsang place in Hari Nagar at Mainpuri and took shelter at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust, which falls under the jurisdiction of Vichhwa Police Station. 

Cops have intensified their search to nab him. The deadly stampede in Hathras on Tuesday that claimed over 100 lives occurred at a congregation of Baba Narayan Hari alias Saakar Vishwa Hari 'Bhole Baba', a former policeman who turned into a religious preacher two decades ago and gained a following, especially in western Uttar Pradesh. 

The real name of Bhole Baba is Surajpal. He is a native of Bahadur Nagar in Kasganj district, a retired IPS officer said. Circle Officer (CO) of Patiyali Vijay Kumar Rana told PTI that Surjpal left his job as a policeman in the late 1990s and turned to spirituality. He started conducting 'satsang' (religious sermons). One of Surajpal's three brothers died and he set up a Trust and appointed a caretaker for his property in Bahadurgarh where his ashram is located, the CO said. He has no children and takes his wife along with him to 'satsang'. Surajpal belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. 

After he established his ashram in Bahadur Nagar, his fame grew rapidly among the poor and deprived sections and lakhs of people became his followers, according to locals. A follower from Hathras said, "Baba conducts sermons and keeps his own volunteers for security who take care of the arrangements of his satsang." The stampede, which occurred as people headed home after a ‘satsang’ in the district’s Phulrai village conducted by Bhole Baba, killed 116 people on Tuesday, in the worst such tragedy in recent years. 

Vinod Kumar Suryavanshi, who lives in Barse village in the Sasni Tehsil of Hathras and lost his 72-year-old maternal aunt in the tragedy, said his aunt and mother have been following the Baba's sermons for around 15 years. According to officials, the tragedy occurred when devotees tried to get a glimpse of Bhole Baba as the event ended. They also wanted to collect some soil from around the Baba’s feet. District Magistrate Ashish Kumar said the satsang was a private function for which the sub-divisional magistrate had granted permission. The local administration provided security outside the venue while the arrangements inside were made by organisers, he added. (with PTI inputs)