Under heavy security arrangements, self-styled godman Narayan Hari, popularly known as Bhole Baba among his devotees, arrived at the Secretariat in a white Fortuner car belonging to BJP MLA Babu Ram Paswan.
The members of the Judicial Commission quizzed Baba for around two and a half hours. He also submitted an affidavit from 1,100 of his disciples, who were present during the Hathras religious congregation, affirming his innocence.
The three-member Commission, led by retired Allahabad High Court judge Brijesh Srivastava, includes former IAS officer Hemant Rao and former IPS officer Bhavesh Kunar Singh.
While speaking to the media, Baba’s lawyer AP Singh said, “We suspect a conspiracy against Rajesh Yadav alias Fauji. We have full faith in the Yogi government and the justice system”.
He also claimed that the SIT, along with the Judicial Commission, had given a clean chit to Baba in the incident.
A total of 121 people were killed in the stampede during the satsang of Bhole Baba in Phulrai Mughalgarhi village of Sikandrarau, Hathras. The Sevadars had stopped the crowd to allow the godman’s convoy to pass, during which people fell over each other while trying to touch Baba’s feet.
In connection with this incident, the police arrested 11 people, who are currently in jail.
In this incident, a case was registered against Chief Sevadar Devprakash Madhukar and other Sevadars under various charges, including culpable homicide, assault causing death, causing grievous hurt, taking people hostage, violating prohibitory orders, and hiding evidence. They were also accused of exceeding the permitted gathering of 80,000 people, as approximately 2.5 lakh people had assembled at the event.
The police filed the chargesheet in the court on October 1 in this case. In the 3,200-page chargesheet, 11 people were made accused, but Baba was not included among them.