WATCH | Bhole Baba Reflects On Hathras Stampede: 'Jo Aaya Hai, Use Jaana Hi Hai'

Suraj Pal alias 'Bhole Baba', a self-styled religious preacher, made his first public appearance since the Hathras stampede on July 2, where 121 people lost their lives.

Pal, who has not been named in the FIR related to the incident, expressed deep sadness over the tragedy, stating, "I am extremely sad after the incident of July 2, but who can stop what's bound to happen? Whoever has come has to go one day or the other," in an interview with ANI.

Photo Credit: X- ANI

Bhole Baba Reflects On Hathras

Pal's lawyer, Dr AP Singh, alleged a conspiracy behind the stampede, claiming that witnesses had reported the presence of individuals carrying cans of a poisonous substance which they allegedly sprayed, leading to the chaos. Singh asserted that the post-mortem reports indicated the cause of death as asphyxiation rather than injuries.

Following the incident, the Uttar Pradesh government's Special Investigation Team (SIT) held the organisers of the 'satsang' responsible for the stampede. The SIT reported that proper crowd management arrangements were not made by the organisers, who allegedly obtained permission by withholding critical information. This led to the suspension of the local sub divisional magistrate (SDM), a circle officer, and four others based on the findings.

Additionally, a separate judicial commission headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Brijesh Kumar Shrivastava, along with retired IPS Hemant Rao, is conducting an independent investigation into the Hathras stampede case.

As of now, the investigation and legal proceedings continue to unfold amidst allegations and counterclaims regarding the tragic incident.