"Conspiracy Not Ruled Out: 5 Key Findings from Hathras Stampede SIT Report"

The Uttar Pradesh government's Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday found the organisers of the ‘satsang’ guilty for the stampede that killed 121 people in Hathras on July 2.

The SIT, formed shortly after the stampede, inspected the site on July 2, 3, and 5. Based on their findings, the Uttar Pradesh government suspended several officials. Here are five key findings from the stampede during the ‘satsang’ of self-styled preacher Suraj Pal alias ‘Bhole Baba’:

1. The SIT alleged that the ‘satsang’ organisers failed to make proper arrangements to manage the crowd. The report claims the organisers obtained permission for the event by ‘hiding facts’, and that the conditions of permission were not provided by the local administration for the religious program.

2. The SIT has not ruled out a ‘big conspiracy’ behind the stampede and emphasized the need for a thorough investigation. It suggested that being sprayed by ‘unidentified men’ might have triggered the stampede.

3. The panel found the local SDM, circle officer, tehsildar (revenue official), inspector, and outpost in charge guilty of negligence in their duties.

4. According to the SIT, the SDM of Sikandraru allegedly granted permission for the ‘satsang’ without inspecting the venue and failed to inform senior officials. The report also alleges that the organizing committee misbehaved with the police and tried to prevent local police from inspecting the event venue.

5. The report noted that ‘Bhole Baba’ was allowed to meet the crowd without any security arrangements. No barricades or passage arrangements were made, and when the accident occurred, the members of the organizing committee fled the scene.

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