By Tazdar H. Zaidi
Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused in the July 2 Hathras satsang stampede, was arrested from Delhi by Uttar Pradesh Police which claimed he was recently contacted by some political parties and suspected that self-styled godman Bhole Baba’s events were “funded” by a political party.
Two more suspects — Ramprakash Shakya, 61, and Sanju Yadav, 33, were held in Hathras in connection with the stampede that left 121 people dead, according to the police.
Madhukar, 42, was arrested late Friday from Delhi’s Najafgarh area by a Special Operations Group of Hathras police, Hathras Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal said.
The officer said Madhukar worked as a fundraiser for events of self-styled godman Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba and collected donations. The police will apply for remand of Madhukar, he said.
“His financial transactions and money trails are being looked into, and call detail records are also being checked,” Agarwal added.
However, on Friday night, Madhukar’s lawyer A P Singh had claimed he had surrendered to the police in Delhi, where he had come for medical treatment.
Around 2.15 pm on Saturday, Madhukar was brought by the police to the Bagla Combined District Hospital in Hathras for a medical examination amid heavy security deployment in and around the government hospital.
Madhukar, the ‘mukhya sevadar’ of the satsang where the stampede occurred. He is the only accused named in the FIR lodged at Sikandra Rao police station in Hathras in connection with the incident.
Agarwal said the investigation also revealed that some political parties had contacted him some time back.
“A detailed investigation is being conducted regarding the collection of funds to see if such programmes and other resources are being funded by any political party. From the investigation so far, it appears that some political party is connected with them for its political and personal interests,” the police officer said.
“All the bank accounts, movable and immovable properties, money trail, related to the accused Devprakash Madhukar are being investigated, in which assistance will be taken from other agencies as per the need,” he added.
The IPS officer said after preliminary interrogation, accused Madhukar said he had been working on contract as a junior engineer in MNREGA in Etah district since 2010. He has been associated with the (Bhole Baba’s) organisation for years and organises programmes and collects funds for it.
“Madhukar was the main organiser of the satsang programme in Fulrai village on July 2 and the permission for this programme was taken by him. Thus, two roles of Madhukar have come to light — the main organiser and fundraiser,” he added.
