In the wake of the catastrophic stampede during a spiritual gathering in Hathras, 121 lives were tragically lost. The Uttar Pradesh government has deployed a three-member judicial inquiry commission to the Hathras police line to commence a thorough investigation. Authorities reported that the prime suspect, Devprakash Madhukar, had fled to Delhi following the incident but was later detained by police late at night.
Devprakash Madhukar's lawyer, AP Singh, made claims late Friday night that Devprakash had surrendered to the Delhi police where he was receiving medical treatment. The police confirmed that Madhukar was taken into custody by the Hathras Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) team.
An additional police officer from Hathras, on condition of anonymity, stated that Madhukar was apprehended from the Najafgarh area in Delhi. However, official arrest announcements have yet to be made by the police. Madhukar is currently the sole accused in the FIR lodged at the Sikandra Rao station related to the incident.
Also read: Hathras case's main suspect surrenders after a massive manhunt following the stampede.
In a video, lawyer AP Singh asserts that his client, Devprakash Madhukar, surrendered in Delhi. Singh mentioned that they facilitated Madhukar's surrender on that day, who was named as the main organizer in the Hathras case FIR.
Madhukar was undergoing medical treatment in Delhi, and hence the police, SIT, and STF were called in. Singh said they had promised not to apply for anticipatory bail, as they had done nothing wrong, questioning, 'What is our crime?'. Madhukar, an engineer and a heart patient, is said to be in a stable condition now, and thus he was persuaded to participate in the investigation.
Source: aajtak
AP Singh stated that the police could now take his statement or interrogate him, but they must consider his health condition. Ensuring nothing untoward happens to him.
Dismissing any acts of applying for anticipatory bail or approaching the court as attempts of self-preservation due to fear, Singh stated Madhukar will participate fully in the investigation and share information regarding anti-social elements at the event.
Read more: Hathras Stampede: 'Baba did not flee; he's still in UP,' claims lawyer AP Singh, representative of Narayan Sakar Hari.
The UP Police had announced a reward of INR 100,000 for information leading to Madhukar's capture. On July 3, a Supreme Court lawyer claimed to also represent Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba, whose gathering turned chaotic, resulting in a stampede influenced by certain unruly elements. Lawyer AP Singh asserted that Surajpal was prepared to cooperate with the state administration and the police, and had called for a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
Until Thursday, six people, including two female volunteers from Bhole Baba's gathering committee, were arrested. Following the incident on July 2, an FIR was registered, and the subsequent day the state administration formed a three-member judicial commission under the guidance of a High Court judge to investigate the Hathras incident.
