Hathras stampede: 'Bhole Baba' has multiple sexual assault cases against him

Unlike other godmen and godwomen, who are often seen donning saffron, "Sakar Vishwa Hari Baba of Patiali" is always seen decked in white dress.

A stampede at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras killed over 100 people and left many injured on Tuesday.

The congregation was organised by Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavana Samagam Committee and was being led by a spiritual leader who is known as Bhole Baba aka Narayan Sakar Hari in Hathras’ Phulrai Mugalgadhi village.

A video that has gone viral on social media shows Hari leaving the venue in his car and hundreds of devotees running behind his car to gather the dust as a token of blessings.

Suraj Pal, alias Bhole Baba also has a history of legal troubles, including allegations of sexual assault. Multiple cases have reportedly been filed against him in various jurisdictions including Agra, Etawah, Kasganj, Farrukhabad, and Rajasthan.

The Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against the organisers of the congregation, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people gathering for the event in which only 80,000 were permitted. But this is not the first time that his satsang flouted rules.

In 2022, he held a similar satsang in UP's Farrukhabad even as cases of Covid were on the rise. Owing to the pandemic, the district administration had only permitted 50 people to attend the event. However, over 50,000 people reached the site to attend the event. The large crowd led to significant traffic snarls in the area.

Born in Bahadur Nagar, Suraj Pal was part of the police department before facing legal troubles in 1997 related to allegations of sexual assault, for which he served time in prison, reported NDTV. Upon his release, he reinvented himself as “Saakar Vishwa Hari Baba”, attracting devotees to his ashram in his ancestral village.

Unlike other godmen and godwomen, who are often seen donning saffron, Hari who also has the alias "Sakar Vishwa Hari Baba of Patiali" is seen decked in white dress. His events usually attract hundreds of followers. He also is seen preaching with his wife.

Meanwhile, after meeting those injured and kin of deceased in Hathras stampede incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday,  said a judicial inquiry headed by retired High Court judge will be initiated and promised to punish those who are responsible for the lapse.