72 of 116 bodies identified; post-mortem underway in 4 districts

Hathras, July 3: Of the 116 bodies, 72 have been identified so far even as the post-mortem of the bodies is being held at Agra, Etah, Kasganj and Aligarh, officials said.

In one of the worst tragedies in recent years, 116 people were killed in a stampede at a religious congregation here on Tuesday as devotees suffocated to their deaths and bodies piled atop each other.

The exact cause of the stampede is still under investigation.

Hathras Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Manjeet Singh said, "Thirty-two bodies were brought here and 19 of them have been identified. We are identifying the rest of them."

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed district officials to ensure the injured persons are hospitalised promptly and to expedite relief efforts.

He has also ordered a thorough probe into the incident to determine the underlying causes and prevent such tragedies in the future.

Meanwhile, the police conducted search operations at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district in search of 'Bhole Baba', who held a religious discourse in Hathras where a stampede took place, claiming the lives of 116 people.

The Satsang was reportedly being held by Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, formerly known as Saurabh Kumar.

The godman had previously served in the Intelligence department of Uttar Pradesh Police.

After 17 years of service, he quit his job to embark on a spiritual journey as a preacher. He is often seen giving lessons in a white suit and tie.

He organises satsang programmes with his wife and is also known as 'Sakar Vishwa Hari Baba of Patiali'.

While his following extends beyond Uttar Pradesh to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the preacher and his acolytes maintain a distance from the media and also the social media.

According to a devotee, Bhole Baba had no religious mentor and soon after he took voluntary retirement from service, he had a 'vision' of the deity and since then he became inclined to spiritual pursuits.

He used to hold his satsangs every Tuesday and before Hathras, he held a similar event in Mainpuri district last week.

He courted controversy during the Covid pandemic period when he sought permission for a satsang in Farrukhabad district in May 2022 to be attended by only 50 people.

However, the congregation grew to more than 50,000, causing a major problem for the local administration.