Hathras (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 21 : After the judicial commission gave a clean chit to Bhole Baba in the Hathras stampede case, families who lost their loved ones have expressed deep dissatisfaction, questioning, 'What do we do now'?

Speaking to IANS, Mukesh Yadav, the lawyer representing the event organisers, said, 'Around 1,500 witnesses were interrogated, and they confirmed Bhole Baba had no role in the stampede. It was expected that he would be cleared. There are still others in jail who deserve bail. I am fighting for their release.'

Vinod Kumar, who lost his mother in the tragic incident, told IANS, 'The investigators are educated people; they must have done their job. But I've lost my mother -- what can we do now'?

Kiran Devi, who lost her daughter-in-law in the stampede, voiced her frustration to IANS: 'This is wrong. Many from our village attended the Satsang. The Baba shouldn't have been given a clean chit.'

The judicial commission investigating the tragic incident has submitted its final report to the Yogi Adityanath-led government. The stampede, which took place on July 2, 2024, during a religious congregation, claimed 121 lives, most of them women, and left dozens injured.

The commission's findings were presented to the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, which approved the report for tabling in the House.

According to the report, the event organisers were primarily responsible for the tragic incident.

The commission also highlighted serious lapses by the local administration and Uttar Pradesh Police, citing negligence in crowd management and inadequate security measures as contributing factors.

The investigation concluded that Bhole Baba, whose real name is Suraj Pal Singh, had no direct role in the stampede, attributing the disaster to mismanagement by the organisers and administrative authorities.

Several recommendations were made to prevent such tragedies in the future, including mandatory police inspections of venues before events to ensure all safety regulations are followed.

The stampede unfolded during a massive gathering at Bhole Baba's religious congregation, which drew thousands of devotees.

Eyewitnesses had earlier reported severe overcrowding and a lack of proper exit routes as key factors behind the deadly chaos.

The Satsang, organised by the Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavna Samagam Committee, was held in Ratibhanpur, where devotees had gathered to hear religious preacher Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba.

The chaos broke out as the event concluded when some attendees tried to leave the overcrowded 'pandal' amid humid conditions. As others pushed back, confusion and panic escalated, triggering the deadly stampede.

/IANS