YOGI SMELLS A CONSPIRACY BEHIND HATHRAS TRAGEDY

Judicial probe ordered to get to the bottom of the stampede | While people were dying, satsang volunteers fled the scene, CM said

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced a judicial probe into the Hathras stampede as he met those injured in the incident at the venue of the religious congregation here.

Adityanath did not rule out the possibility of a conspiracy in the stampede. He also said the “sevadars” (volunteers working for the ‘satsang’ organisers) should have taken the victims to the hospital.

People were dying and the “sevadars” fled, he claimed.

Asserting the government will ensure that such incidents do not recur, the chief minister said a standard operating procedure might be put in place for religious congregations.

“A judicial probe by a retired high court judge will be conducted into the incident. A notification about this will be issued today, he said.

“If this is not an accident, then whose conspiracy is this? All of these will be probed. Retired officials of the police and civic administration will be part of the judicial inquiry and action will be taken against those found responsible.”

Adityanath said the government had formed a Special Investigation Team led by the additional director general (ADG) of police, Agra, which has given its preliminary report.