Main accused fled to Delhi, now in custody

Devprakash Madhukar, the principal accused in the July 2 Hathras stampede that resulted in 121 fatalities, was apprehended in Delhi by the Uttar Pradesh Police late Friday night, officials confirmed.

Contrary to claims made by Madhukar’s lawyer, A P Singh, who stated that his client had voluntarily surrendered to the police in Delhi late Friday, a police official disclosed that Madhukar was detained by a Special Operations Group (SOG) team from Hathras police in the Najafgarh area of Delhi.

Madhukar, the ‘mukhya sevadar’ of the ‘satsang’ where the stampede occurred, is the sole accused named in the FIR lodged at Sikandra Rao police station in Hathras. In a video message, Madhukar’s lawyer asserted that his client had surrendered while undergoing medical treatment in Delhi. “Today, we have surrendered Devprakash Madhukar, who has been called the main organiser in the FIR in the Hathras case, after contacting the police, the SIT, and the STF in Delhi,” Singh stated.

Singh emphasised that they had not applied for anticipatory bail as they believed Madhukar was innocent. “He is an engineer and a heart patient. Doctors have now declared his condition stable, so we surrendered today to join the investigation,” the lawyer added.

Singh urged the police to consider Madhukar’s health condition during the investigation and ensure his safety. “Questions were being raised about his whereabouts and whether he had fled,” Singh remarked. Madhukar, according to his lawyer, is prepared to provide information about “anti-social elements” present at the event.