Justice (Retd) Brijesh Kr Srivastava leads panel to probe Hathras stampede

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel. - Photo: ANI file

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has constituted a Judicial Commission headed by Allahabad High Court Justice (Retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava to probe Hathras stampede in which 121 people lost their lives on Tuesday (July 2).

The three-membered Judicial Commission will also have retired IAS officer Hemant Rao and retired IPS Bhavesh Kumar Singh as members.

As per the government notification issued on Wednesday night, the term of the Commission will be for two months.

Notification further said the Commission will investigate the incident that occurred on July 2 and after the investigation, a report will be submitted to the State Government on the following points:

(a) To check compliance by the organisers of the programme with the permission granted by the district administration and the conditions mentioned therein;

(b) To investigate whether the incident is an accident or a conspiracy or other planned criminal incident;

(c) To examine the arrangements made by the district administration and police for crowd control and maintaining law and order during the programme and other aspects related thereto;

(d) To ascertain the causes and circumstances due to which the said incident occurred;

(e) To give suggestions regarding preventing recurrence of such incidents in future.

The incident took place in the satsang program of Sakar Narayan Vishwa Hari alias Bhole Baba on Tuesday in village Phulrai Mughalgarhi, police station Sikandrarau, district Hathras.

Meanwhile, a report from Mainpuri said that the first statement of Sakar Hari Baba alias Bhole Baba regarding the stampede has come to light.

Sakar Hari Baba has said: “I had already left from the spot before the incident occured.” He has held the organizers responsible for this accident.

He also wished for the recovery of the injured.

It is also reported that Baba is under house arrest in the ashram.

After the accident in Hathras, Bhole Baba reached his ashram in Bichhwa town of Mainpuri late on Tuesday night.

Since then the police have fortified the ashram and the Baba has been placed under house arrest by the police. - The Statesman/ANN