India event organiser arrested after fatal crush

The chief organiser of a significant religious event in northern India, where 121 people tragically lost their lives in a crush, has surrendered to the police, according to his lawyer. The incident, which occurred in Uttar Pradesh state last week, stands as one of the deadliest such disasters in India in over a decade. Nearly all the victims were women and children attending the satsang, a Hindu religious gathering. Chaos erupted at the conclusion of the event when many in the crowd surged towards the preacher, who was preparing to depart in his car. This tragedy has ignited widespread outrage in India, prompting questions about lapses in safety measures and crowd management. On Thursday, police announced the arrest of six individuals involved in organising the event in Hathras district. More than 120 people perished in the crush at the religious event. On Friday night, police reported the arrest of Devprakash Madhukar, the main organiser, in the Najafgarh area of Delhi, subsequently handing him over to the police in Uttar Pradesh state. However, AP Singh, a lawyer representing the preacher Bhole Baba who led the congregation, later stated that Mr Madhukar had voluntarily surrendered to the police. 'We informed you that we would surrender Devprakash Madhukar, present him to the police, interrogate him, and participate in the investigation,' he told ANI news agency. 'We have handed him over to the special investigation team and the Uttar Pradesh police. Now a thorough investigation can proceed. ' Mr Madhukar was presented before a local court and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. He is a key suspect in the police complaint and faces charges of attempted culpable homicide. The complaint alleges that officials had granted permission for 80,000 people to gather, but approximately 250,000 attendees showed up at the event. The police report indicates that thousands of devotees rushed towards the preacher's vehicle as he was leaving, collecting dust from the path as an act of devotion. Mr Singh, however, denied any responsibility and told the BBC that the crush occurred 'due to some anti-social elements'. He attributed the incident to a 'criminal conspiracy against' his client. He also refuted claims that security guards at the festival had incited panic by pushing away people attempting to receive Bhole Baba's blessing. A three-member judicial inquiry commission has been established to investigate the incident.