The chief organiser of a religious event in Uttar Pradesh, India, where a deadly crush claimed 121 lives, has been arrested by police.
The incident occurred last week and has been described as one of India’s worst in over a decade. It primarily affected women and children attending the Satsang, a Hindu religious gathering.
Chaos had erupted as attendees rushed towards the preacher, Bhole Baba, as he was leaving the overcrowded congregation. This tragedy has sparked national outrage and raised concerns over safety measures and crowd management.
Police arrested Devprakash Madhukar, the main organiser, in Delhi and transferred him to Uttar Pradesh authorities. He has been charged with attempted culpable homicide and placed in 14-day judicial custody. Authorities revealed that the event was permitted for 80,000 people, but around 250,000 attended, leading to the fatal crash.
Madhukar’s lawyer, AP Singh, asserted his client’s cooperation with the investigation but denied responsibility. He attributed the incident to anti-social elements and a criminal conspiracy.
A three-member judicial inquiry commission has been set up to investigate the disaster.
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