DEVPRAKASH Madhukar, the main accused in the July 2 Hathras stampede that killed 121 people, was arrested from Delhi’s Najafgarh area by a Special Operations Group of Hathras police, officials said on Saturday. Madhukar, who was arrested late night on Friday, was contacted by some political parties recently, Hathras Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal said. Agarwal said Madhukar worked as a fundraiser for events of self-styled godman Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba and collected donations.Meanwhile, Devprakash Madhukar, the key accused in the July 2 Hathras stampede, was on Saturday sent to14-dayjudicialcustodyby a magistrate court, officials said. Besides, Sanju Yadav, another suspect who has been arrested in connection with the case, was also sent to jail forthe same duration, they said.

 

“His financial transactions, money trails are being looked into, and call detailrecords also being checked,” Agarwal added. However, on Friday night, Madhukar’s lawyer AP Singh had claimed he had surrendered to the police in Delhi, where he hadcomeformedical treatment. Around 2.15 pm on Saturday, Madhukar was brought by the police to theBaglaCombinedDistrict Hospital in Hathras for a medical examination amid heavysecuritydeploymentin and around the government hospital. Madhukar had his face covered with a handkerchief and a stole tied aroundhishead.Madhukar, the ‘mukhya sevadar’ of the ‘satsang’wherethestampede occurred.

 

He is the only accused named in the FIR lodgedatSikandraRaopolice station in Hathras in connection with the incident. “Today, we have surrendered Devprakash Madhukar, who has been called the main organiser in the FIR in the Hathras case, after calling the police, the SITandtheSTFinDelhisince hewasundergoingtreatment here,” lawyer Singh claimed in a video Friday night. “We had promised we would not apply for anticipatory bail since we did no wrong. What is our crime? Heisanengineeranda heart patient.Doctorssaidhiscondition is stable now and so wesurrenderedtodaytojoin the probe,” the lawyer said. Singhsaidpolicemaynow recordhisstatementorquestion him but they must take intoconsiderationhishealth condition and ensure that “nothing wrong happens with him”.

 

“We did not do anything like filing anticipatory bail or moving court which would have been viewedasanefforttosaveourselves and being scared... Questions were being raised abouthis(Madhukar)whereabouts and if he had run away,”hesaid.Madhukarwill join the probe and share information aboutthe“antisocialelements”attheevent, he added. Uttar Pradesh Police had announced a reward of Rs1lakh forinformation leading to Madhukar’s arrest.OnJuly 3, the Supreme Court lawyer hadclaimedthathealsorepresentsSurajpalaliasNarayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba, the self-styled godman at whose‘satsang’thestampede occurred, and that some “anti-social elements” were behind the tragedy.