The main organizer of an event featuring an Indian preacher, where a stampede resulted in 121 fatalities this week, turned himself in to the police on Friday, according to the preacher's lawyer. Following a manhunt initiated by the police, Devprakash Madhukar was identified as a prime suspect in the initial police report, which included charges of attempted culpable homicide. The police had previously offered a reward of 100,000 rupees ($1,200) for information leading to his capture.
A.P. Singh, the lawyer for the self-proclaimed spiritual leader Bhole Baba, stated that Madhukar was the chief organizer of the Hindu religious gathering held on Tuesday, which attracted approximately 250,000 attendees in a village in Uttar Pradesh. The district authorities had only authorized an event for 80,000 people.
Singh informed the media that Madhukar had surrendered in Delhi and that they were not seeking preemptive bail. He refuted any allegations of misconduct by the event organizers and mentioned that Devprakash was receiving medical care in a hospital post-stampede. The preacher expressed his sorrow over the incident on Saturday and pledged that his team would support the injured and the families of the victims.
"I trust that anyone responsible for the disorder will face justice," he told the Indian news agency ANI, in which Reuters holds a minority stake.
