Phone switched off: What 'Bhole Baba' did moments after Hathras satsang tragedy

Baba’s phone location was traced to his Mainpuri ashram between 3 pm and 4.35 pm on Tuesday.

Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday recreated the sequence of events that happened after the Hathras stampede, based on call record details of Surajpal Singh alias Bhole Baba and all accused in the case.
Cops have revealed several key details about what Surajpal Singh, alias Bhole Baba, did after he left the satsang venue as the stampede broke out. It is now widely believed that the stampede occurred when several people rushed to touch his feet, believing it would bring them good luck.

• Baba left in his convoy around 1.40 pm as the stampede broke out on Tuesday.
• Bhole Baba received a call from his main organiser, Dev Prakash Madhukar, at 2.48 pm, informing him of the satsang tragedy, according to a report published in the TOI quoting police. Madhukar who is named in the FIR is absconding.
• Baba’s phone location was traced to his Mainpuri ashram between 3 pm and 4.35 pm on Tuesday.

 First call: Baba made several calls to his associates. The first call, lasting 3 minutes, was with Mahesh Chandra, believed to be close to the organising committee, the TOI report mentioned.

Second call: This call lasted only 40 seconds, with a man named Sanju Yadav on the other side.

Third call: It lasted 11 minutes and 30 seconds, when Baba was connected with Dev Prakash’s wife Ranjana.

Police sources said that the godman’s mobile phone was switched off after 4.35 pm, and its location remains untraceable since then.

Other important updates in the case

On Thursday, cops visited the his Mainpuri ashram, where he was not present. When locals asked police about their visit, they said it was not for a probe, but to check the security arrangements of the ashram.

The state govt has formed a judicial commission headed by a retired high court judge to probe the Hathras tragedy, also looking into the possibility of a ‘conspiracy’ behind the stampede. A report is expected in two months.

An FIR was also lodged against the organisers of the satsang, accusing them of cramming 2.5 lakh people into the venue when they had obtained permission for only 80,000. However, Bhole Baba was not named accused in the formal complaint.

CM Yogi Adityanath has categorically asked why Bhole Baba was not named in the FIR as an accused. He had said, “Prima facie, a case has been filed against those who applied for permission for the event. Whoever is responsible for this will come under its purview.”