Hathras Stampede: Who is Bhole Baba, The Cop-Turned-Godman At The Centre Of UP Tragedy?

He used to be a policeman about two decades ago before he took up the path of a religious preacher. His followers call him the “healer”, the “exorcist” who “cures” people with his “magical powers”. He once claimed he could ‘resurrect’ a dead girl and even got arrested for forcibly trying to take her body from the family. Self-styled godman Narayan Saakar Vishwa Hari – better known as ‘Bhole Baba’ – has lakhs of dedicated followers but on Wednesday, 121 of them who were attending his satsang in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, died in a massive stampede. Most of them were women and children.

A crowd of 2.5 lakh had gathered at the congregation although the authorities had permission for only 80,000. There was utter chaos due to the mismanagement of the event. However, it was when the devotees heard that ‘baba’ had arrived that all hell broke loose. As the preacher was about to leave his car, thousands of followers rushed towards him, crossing the slushy mud-filled patches and crushing those squatting on the ground. Some people raced to collect mud as mementoes and got trampled, while being stopped by the stick-wielding security men of the baba.

On July 2, as the disturbing images and videos of the incident started circulating everywhere, Bhole Baba chose not to make a public appearance. In a brief statement, however, he condoled the loss of lives and claimed that "anti-social elements" were behind the stampede.

Once A Cop, Now A ‘Healer’ 

A native of Bahadurnagar village of Kasganj district, in the 1990s, Bhole Baba, or Suraj Pal Singh as he was known back then, was a constable in the Uttar Pradesh Police. He belongs to a Dalit family and had three brothers, one of whom died. According to reports, his younger brother still lives in the village and does farming.

Locals say Baba is more than 60 years of age and does not have any children. He had reportedly adopted a girl, who died around 16-17 years back. Baba had kept her body at home for two days hoping she would come alive, they claimed.

Villagers have often praised him for never asking for any donation or "chadhava" (offerings) from anyone. His 'Bhavya Dham', villagers told PTI, was built out of the voluntary donations he received from the devotees. Police personnel, pooled from several police stations, have been stationed outside the ashram now.

According to people in the know, he was dismissed from the police after a criminal case was lodged against him. His past is riddled with legal troubles, including allegations of sexual assault. There have been multiple cases filed against him in various jurisdictions including Agra, Etawah, Kasganj, Farrukhabad, and Rajasthan. 

Though the exact details of his life are sketchy, it was after his stint as a cop that he chose to become ‘Bhole Baba’. Over the years, he has gathered a considerable following, mostly in the low-income Dalit families. His devotees are predominantly labourers, masons, agricultural workers, safai karmacharis, carpenters etc, many of whom have been witness to his rise. 

"I go to temples, gurdwara, mosques and churches. I reach wherever I am called from. And if I am not called, I don't go," he says in one of the videos of his sermons, claiming that he is an incarnation of God. He is usually seen in white clothes and presides over several ashrams, the biggest of them in Mainpuri.

Women residents of his village said Baba's conduct was good and he only talked about things related to God. A large number of his ‘patients’ are also said to be young girls ‘possessed’ by ‘evil spirits’.

He also runs an organisation called the Ram Kutir Charitable Trust, which was one of the main organisers of the Hathras event.

The Uttar Pradesh Police have lodged an FIR against the 'Mukhya Sevadar' Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers of the religious congregation in Hathras, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people gathering for the event in which only 80,000 were permitted. 

Meanwhile, Bhole Baba has not been named in the FIR though his name was there in the complaint. His two upcoming congregations in Agra are cancelled by authorities.