Main Accused in Hathras Tragedy Arrested: Devprakash Madhukar in Police Custody

Devprakash Madhukar, the principal accused in the July 2 Hathras stampede that resulted in 121 deaths, was arrested in Delhi. Officials revealed that he's been involved in collecting donations for events of a self-styled godman. Madhukar's lawyer claims he surrendered voluntarily for medical reasons. Investigations are ongoing.

Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused in the July 2 Hathras stampede that killed 121 people, was arrested from Delhi's Najafgarh area by a Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Hathras police, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Madhukar, taken into custody late Friday night, had been contacted recently by some political parties, according to Hathras Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal. Madhukar worked as a fundraiser for events organized by self-styled godman Surajpal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari or Bhole Baba, and collected donations. The police plan to apply for his remand, Agarwal noted.

Following his arrest, Madhukar's lawyer, A P Singh, claimed that his client had surrendered to the police in Delhi due to medical treatment needs. Around 2:15 pm on Saturday, Madhukar underwent a medical examination at the Bagla Combined District Hospital in Hathras, amid heavy security deployment. His financial transactions and call records are being scrutinized as part of the ongoing investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)