Hathras stampede: Who is Bhole Baba?

At least 121 people lost their lives at a religious gathering or satsang hosted by Narayan Sakar Hari alias Sakar Vishwa Hari a.k.a Bhole Baba, in Uttar Pradesh' Hathras on Tuesday, prompting many to call for action against the preacher.

Against this backdrop, we take a look at what we know about him.

Who is Bhole Baba?

Reports suggest that the self-styled preacher, who has been absconding since Tuesday, is a former Uttar Pradesh policeman who worked with the Local Intelligence Unit for more than 15 years.

The real name of Bhole Baba is Surajpal and he is a native of Bahadur Nagar in Kasganj district, PTI quoted a retired IPS officer as saying.

According to Circle Officer (CO) of Patiyali Vijay Kumar Rana, Surjpal left his job as a policeman in the late 1990s to pursue his interests in spirituality.

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Subsequently, the preacher started conducting 'satsang' (religious sermons). The CO was further quoted by the news agency as saying that one of Surajpal's three brothers had died, following which he set up a Trust and appointed a caretaker for his property in Bahadurgarh where his ashram is located.

This preacher is also said to have organised such religious sermons during Covid-19 when there were restrictions. He was at the center of a controversy for the same reason in Etah-Aligarh region then.

He has no children and takes his wife along with him to 'satsangs'. Surajpal reportedly belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.

While details about his rise to fame is yet to be ascertained, Bhole Baba is said to have influenced the lower-middle class with his preaching style, and reported had a strong following in western Uttar Pradesh.

A certain flamboyance that the preacher carries also reportedly influenced the poor in the Etah-Kasganj and the Braj regions, along with a few other areas in western Uttar Pradesh. A report in Hindustan Times said that after taking retirement from police service, Surajpal resided in a hut in his village in Kasganj, UP.

Subsequently, he started travelling to villages, mostly in the Braj region of Agra and Aligrah, and started preaching religious sermons, thereby setting out on the path to become 'Bhole Baba'.

After gaining fame as a preacher, Surajpal a.k.a Bhole Baba also altered his appearance to match his newfound status, and was mostly seen in white attire, clean shaven, and seated on a high chair akin to a throne.

His influence is said to extend beyond western Uttar Pradesh to Madhya Pradesh and Rajathan.

Bhole Baba’s men are mostly clad in light pink shirts, trousers and white caps, and are seen carrying batons using which they oversee the security arrangements at his events.