Hathras stampede: Lawyer says Baba in UP, not ‘absconding’

'Bhole Baba is cooperating in the police investigation into the tragedy…..he has not been absconding…he will appear before the police whenever he is called,’ the godman's lawyer AP Singh said in Aligarh.

Lucknow: Amid rumours that 'Bhole Baba' might have left the country after Tuesday’s stampede during his ‘satsang’ (religious congregation) at Phulrai village in Hathras district killing 121 devotees, his lawyer claimed on Friday that the latter was very much in Uttar Pradesh and was not ‘absconding’. The popular baba's real name is Suraj Pal aka 'Sakar Hari Bhole Baba'.

The lawyer also claimed that Dev Prakash Madhukar, who was the main accused in the incident and on whom a cash reward of Rs one lakh was announced by the police, was lodged in a hospital following a heart problem and was being treated there.

‘’Bhole Baba is cooperating in the police investigation into the tragedy…..he has not been absconding…he will appear before the police whenever he is called,’’ Baba’s lawyer AP Singh said in Aligarh.

‘’Bhole Baba has full faith in the police investigation…he is only doing what the police have asked him to do,’’ Singh said.

The lawyer also rejected allegations that the stampede was caused after the devotees rushed to touch the feet of the Baba saying that the Bhole Baba never allowed anyone to touch his feet. ‘’Bhole Baba does not allow any devotee to touch his feet….he does not accept any gift from any one,’’ he claimed.

The Baba, who remained untraceable since the incident, issued a statement blaming ‘anti-social elements’ for the incident and claimed that he had left the venue before the tragedy.

Incidentally the name of the Baba does not figure in the FIR registered by the police in this regard. When queried about the absence of the ‘Kathavachak’ Bhole Baba’s name in the FIR, a senior police official had said that the police would ‘question’ the Baba if his name cropped up during the investigation.

‘’There is no question of sparing any one ... .the investigation is going on…we will question everyone whose name crops up during the investigation,’’ he had said, adding that the police were collecting information about the criminal antecedents of the Baba.

Singh said that Madhukar would soon appear before the police and put forth his side of the story. ‘’Madhukar will appear before the cops as soon as he recovers and his condition is stable….he does not have any criminal record,’’ the lawyer said.

The SIT formed to probe the incident was likely to start its investigation in a day or two, sources said.