Hathras July Stampede: Godman 'Bhole Baba' Not Named In UP Police Charge Sheet, Mayawati Alleges Anti-People Politics

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati called out the Uttar Pradesh government for not naming self-proclaimed godman Surajpal, also known as Bhole Baba, in the 3,200-page charge sheet filed on Tuesday (1 October).

Notably, the UP Police has named 11 accused, including two women sevadars (volunteers), in connection with the stampede that claimed 121 lives at Phulrai village in Hathras district on 2 July, leaving out Surajpal.

Mayawati alleged that this move is anti-people politics, which proves that such a person is protected by the state government and questioned whether it is possible to prevent such incidents in the future with such attitude.

Surajpal was also not named in the First Information Report (FIR) filed shortly after the incident. Dev Prakash Madhukar, the chief organiser of the event is indicted in the charge sheet.

These individuals had also been mentioned in the initial FIR, with Madhukar listed as the primary accused. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) and a judicial commission was formed to investigate the stampede.

The charge sheet will be shared with the accused on 4 October, the next court hearing date. The Hathras police have rejected claims of leniency toward Surajpal, maintaining that the investigation remains active.

"It's too early to make conclusions based on the current charge sheet," Additional Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Singh said when questioned about Bhole Baba’s possible exoneration.