LUCKNOW: Surajpal, aka Bhole Baba and Narayan Sakar Hari, appeared before a three-member judicial commission on Thursday as part of the ongoing investigation into the July 2 stampede during a religious gathering in UP’s Hathras that had claimed at least 121 lives.
The judicial panel questioned Bhole Baba for over two hours at the secretariat building here.According to reports, Bhole Baba submitted affidavits from 1,100 attendees of the July 2 ‘satsang’ to the commission to help establish the events leading to the stampede.
“Bhole Baba is not involved in the incident. The special investigation team (SIT) has cleared Baba of any wrongdoing, and the judicial inquiry commission has done the same. The commission assured that Bhole Baba would not be summoned for further questioning,” Bhole Baba’s lawyer AP Singh claimed.
He claimed that a resident of Mughal Garhi village, Rajesh Yadav, was behind the stampede. Singh said that Yadav had threatened to disrupt the event if he was not appointed the president of a local body. “We have shared this information with the authorities and the court. Action is being taken after an FIR was filed,” he said. tnn
