Hathras stampede: ‘Bhole Baba’ claimed he could revive dead, was arrested in 2000; toll at 121

Over more than two decades now, after leaving the Uttar Pradesh Police in the 1990s where he was Constable Suraj Pal from Kasganj, to become a self-styled religious preacher, he has gathered a considerable following — mostly low-income Dalit families, where the men are employed as labourers, masons, agricultural labourers, safai karmacharis, carpenters or carpet-sellers, many of whom were witness to his rising popularity.

At the cremation of a victim of the stampede in Hathras on Wednesday. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

Many said what drew them to ‘Bhole Baba’, also from a Dalit family, was that he did not seek any offerings. “Baba does not take or ask for anything. In his satsang, he would tell us not to lie, and not to consume meat, fish, egg and alcohol,” said Urmila Devi, who had accompanied her sister, Taramati, to the satsang.

Taramati, a widow, is among those injured. The two sisters are residents of Mathura. This was the fourth time Taramati was attending a satsang addressed by ‘Bhole Baba’, and she had asked her sister to join this time.

Like the two sisters, most of the women devotees are in the 40-70 years age group. “As the satsang was getting over, Bhole Baba said, ‘aaj pralay aayegi, aur phir pralay aa gayee (today is doomsday, and he was right),” said Taramati from her hospital bed.

Kin of victims of the Hathras tragedy

According to residents of Donkeli village in Hathras district, ‘Bhole Baba’ has 10 to 12 sevadars (main followers) in every village. “They come and inform people in the village about the satsang, and ferry them to the venue in cars and buses,” said a villager. Many of his followers wear a yellow locket with his photo around their necks.

The authorities have said that a scramble among devotees to collect the dust from the preacher’s feet was among the causes of the stampede. Vivek Thakur, an auto-rickshaw driver from the village, said his devotees believe that “if you apply the dust from his feet on your body or head, it will heal all ailments”.

In Sokhana village of Hathras, from where four persons died in the stampede, residents said ‘Bhole Baba’ would routinely perform exorcisms, mostly on young girls. “At the satsang yesterday, there were more than 100 people who were possessed, and he cured them all,” claimed a villager who did not want to be named.

“He would ask followers to perform good deeds so that they would be rewarded with a better life in their next birth. He told us that if we followed the path of good, we would be born into better circumstances in our next life,” said some women in Damadpura in Sikandrarao.

A victim of the stampede at the district hospital in Hathras. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

“When I got married in 2001, he was not as famous, but his popularity increased over time. If you attend his satsangs more than seven times, you can become a sevadar. The sevaders have a special dress. Women wear pink saris and men also wear a pink uniform,” said another devotee.

Meanwhile, a retired police officer, Tejveer Singh, who was then the Station House Officer of Shahganj, Agra, recalled the arrest of the preacher in March 2000. “Suraj Pal, along with 200-250 people, arrived at the cremation ground where the body of a 16-year-old girl had been brought by her family. Suraj Pal and the others stopped the family from performing the last rites, and tried to convince them that he could resurrect her,” he said.

According to police station records, the girl, Sneh Lata, was the daughter of a local resident. The case was lodged on March 18, 2000.

At the cremation of a victim of the stampede in Hathras on Wednesday. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

Singh said the accused forcibly took the body from the family. Meanwhile, the police were informed. “When we reached the spot, Suraj Pal and his supporters argued with us. He claimed that he could resurrect the girl. His supporters then started pelting stones at the police team. Additional police personnel were called in, and the situation was brought under control. We arrested Suraj Pal and the others involved,” said Singh, who retired as Deputy Superintendent of Police in 2019.

A case was lodged at the Shahganj police station against six persons, including Suraj Pal, his wife and four others (two of whom were women) under IPC Section 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence, and where no express provision is made for its punishment) and Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Agra, Suraj Kumar Rai, confirmed the arrests. The case was investigated and a chargesheet was filed, he said. Later, further investigation was conducted after new evidence emerged. “Based on the evidence collected during the further investigation, a closure report was filed in the case,” Rai said.

According to police records, the closure report was filed on December 2, 2000.