Poison Sprays Alleged in Deadly Hathras Stampede

Advocate AP Singh alleges the use of poison sprays by unidentified men during a religious gathering in Hathras, resulting in 121 deaths. The main accused, Devprakash Madhukar, has been detained. Self-styled godman Suraj Pal Singh pledges support for victims' families.

Days after 121 individuals lost their lives in a stampede during a religious event in Hathras, advocate AP Singh has made a startling claim. According to Singh, unidentified men sprayed poison, leading to the deaths of mostly women and children, and subsequently fled the scene.

'Unidentified men were carrying poisonous sprays...They ran while spraying the poisonous spray, and it looked as part of a pre-planned conspiracy. Many people lost their consciousness. I urge the Special Investigation Team to investigate who all are behind this incident,' Singh told ANI.

The stampede, which took place on July 2 during a 'Satsang' event by self-styled godman Suraj Pal, alias 'Bhole Baba', in Fulari village, resulted in numerous casualties.

Devprakash Madhukar, the primary accused, has been remanded for 14 days of judicial custody after appearing before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. Madhukar claimed he had permission for 80,000 attendees from the SDM but denied publicizing the event. Earlier, a reward of Rs 1 lakh was issued for information leading to his arrest, which happened on July 5 in the national capital. Two additional suspects, Ramprakash Shakya and Sanju Yadav, have also been detained.

In a video statement, Suraj Pal Singh, or 'Bhole Baba', expressed his sorrow and assured that those responsible for the chaos would face consequences. He pledged support for the bereaved families and urged the community to trust the government and administration.

(With inputs from agencies.)