Suraj Pal Singh, known as Bhole Baba, expressed his deep sorrow over the tragic Hathras stampede incident, urging the affected families to trust the judicial process. In a video message, he stated, “I am deeply saddened by the July 2 stampede. May God give us the strength to bear this pain. Please keep faith in the government and the administration. I have faith that anyone who created the chaos would not be spared. Through my lawyer, AP Singh, I have requested the committee members to support the bereaved families and the injured.”

The primary suspect in the stampede, Dev Prakash Madhukar, surrendered to the police in Delhi on Friday night and was subsequently taken into custody by the Uttar Pradesh Police. Madhukar, the ‘mukhya sevadar’ of the satsang where the stampede occurred, is the sole accused named in the First Information Report (FIR). He will be presented before a local court on Saturday.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to Madhukar’s arrest. The state government formed a three-member judicial commission, headed by a retired high court judge, to investigate the tragedy and explore the possibility of a conspiracy behind the stampede.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by senior IPS officer Anupam Kulshrestha, has recorded statements from 90 individuals as part of its ongoing investigation. Kulshrestha emphasized that the scope of the probe has expanded as more evidence has come to light and that the “conspiracy angle” cannot be ruled out.

The SIT is tasked with preparing a comprehensive report on the incident. The police investigation continues to delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding the stampede, and Madhukar’s cooperation is expected to shed light on the presence of “anti-social elements” at the event.