Hathras: The Face Of Grief

IMAGE: Chedilal, who lost his daughter Ruby in the stampede, mourns outside the hospital. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced a judicial inquiry into the Hathras tragedy, saying it will also look into the possibility of a 'conspiracy' behind the stampede that killed 121 people at a religious gathering in Hathras.

The police also filed a First Information Report against the organisers of the satsang near Phulhari village, accusing them of cramming 250,000 people into the venue when they had obtained permission for only 80,000, PTI reported.

Bhole Baba's lawyer A P Singh said the preacher is ready to cooperate with the state administration and the police probing Tuesday's stampede. "Some anti-social elements hatched a conspiracy," Singh claimed.

"If this is not an accident, then whose conspiracy is this? All of this will be probed," Yogi told reporters during his visit to Hathras, where he met the injured.

The organisers tried to hide the actual number of people coming to the event by concealing evidence and throwing slippers and other belongings of the devotees in nearby fields, the FIR alleged.

The FIR said police and administration officials did everything possible with available resources and sent the injured to hospitals but the organisers and 'sevadars' did not cooperate.

IMAGE: The mortal remains of a victim of the Hathras stampede being bought to hospital. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

IMAGE: A poster of preacher Surajpal, also known as Bhole Baba, stuck on a board, at the site where believers had gathered for a satsang following which the stampede occurred. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

IMAGE: Belongings of people seen at the site where believers had gathered for the satsang, here and below. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

IMAGE: Police officers at the site. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

IMAGE: Relatives try to identify the mortal remains of the Hathras stampede victims. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

IMAGE: A man breaks down outside the hospital as rescue operations continue. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

IMAGE: Victims of the Hathras stampede receive medical treatment at the hospital. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

IMAGE: A view of the Hathras stampede site at Phulrai village in Hathras on Wednesday. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

IMAGE: Forensic teams collects evidence from the Hathras stampede site. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

IMAGE: A view of the stage at the Hathras stampede site. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath meets victims of the Hathras stampede incident on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

IMAGE: Yogi Adityanath speaks to a police officer at the Hathras police line to take stock of the incident as UP Director General of Police Prashant Kumar stands by. Photograph: ANI Photo

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com

Recommended by Rediff.com