Uttar Pradesh is no stranger to “godmen” and their shenanigans. If Bhole Baba has gone into hiding after allegedly fleeing a stampede site where his devotees lay dying, Rambriksh Yadav fell gun in hand as he fought the police eight years ago.

Rambriksh, an associate of Baba Jaigurudev, had styled himself a “godman” after his mentor’s death. He and his henchmen allegedly killed two police officers on June 2, 2016, when they arrived to remove encroachments from a government plot in Jawaharbagh, Mathura, where Rambriksh had built his ashram four years earlier.

When a large police team raided the ashram on the morning of June 3, 2016, Rambriksh and 20-odd others died in the encounter.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who was chief minister at the time, on Thursday reminded the Yogi Adityanath government of its responsibilities at a time the administration appears on an overdrive to protect Bhole Baba following Tuesday’s satsang stampede that killed 121 of his devotees.

The Baba has been untraceable since the tragedy, with senior officers saying he was not at his Mainpuri ashram where he usually lives.

The police have not named the Baba or his bodyguards — who were in sole control of the satsang venue in Phulrai village — in the FIR. They have blamed only the organisers — a socio-religious outfit — saying they had obtained permission for a gathering of 80,000 but got greedy and allowed in 2.5 lakh.

However, a local youth from Phulrai alleged the Baba charged huge sums for satsangs which, he suggested, forced the organisers to bring in large crowds against an entry fee.

So far, six volunteers from the event have been arrested.

Police sources told this newspaper on Thursday that the stampede happened before the eyes of Bhole Baba, who immediately scooted with his bodyguards without staying back to help the “screaming” victims.

They said the Baba’s about 100 bodyguards had contributed to the stampede by beating the devotees as they rushed to touch the preacher’s feet at the end of the three-day satsang on Tuesday afternoon.

“Suraj Pal (the Baba’s original name) was near the gate of the cordoned-off ground when his followers, mostly women, rushed to touch his feet and collect gulal (from the rangoli he had stepped on),” a source in the police department in Lucknow said, quoting a constable who was on duty at Phulrai on Tuesday.

“The stampede took place when his bodyguards started pushing and beating the devotees to keep them away from the Baba. As the panicky devotees ran helter-skelter, some of them falling, getting trampled on and screaming in pain, the Baba quickly got into his car and escaped. All the six cars in his convoy drove off. His bodyguards too left on their motorcycles.”

Police sources said another constable on duty at the satsang had claimed he had informed his seniors that the crowd was swelling dangerously but hadn’t been taken seriously.

“We had clear instructions from our seniors not to enter the area where the Baba was conducting the satsang because that portion of the ground was in the control of his personal bodyguards,” they quoted the constable as saying.

Arrests, queries

While the organisers, including their chief and prime accused Ved Prakash Madhukar, are untraced, the police have arrested six sevadars or volunteers, including two women, who were positioned behind the Baba at the satsang.

Shalabh Mathur, inspector-general of police (Agra zone), could provide no clear explanation why the sevadars had been arrested.

Repeatedly questioned by reporters, he conceded: “We will interrogate the Baba if his name crops up in the course of the inquiry.”

He added that a special investigation team (SIT) had been set up to probe the role of the police and other government officials.

“But the management was such that they (officials) couldn’t enter the site where the satsang was going on,” he said.

Mathur suggested the SIT was “also probing the sabotage and conspiracy” angles, raising suspicion about a possible attempt to deflect blame.

Baba missing

A PTI report said the police had entered the Baba’s ashram in Mainpuri to check security arrangements and found he was not there. The police had beefed up security outside the ashram since the stampede.

Circle officer Sunil Kumar Singh said police and special operation group personnel entered the ashram on Wednesday night.

“There were 50-60 sevadars, including women, inside…. He (Baba) was neither there yesterday nor today,” PTI quoted him as saying.

Asked why the police had entered the ashram, the additional SP, Mainpuri, Rahul Mithas, said: “We are not here for a probe. We are here to check security.”

A.P. Singh, a Noida-based lawyer, told reporters the Baba had approached him to represent him if the trial court summoned him.

“The incident is unfortunate but the Baba is not responsible for it. The Manav Mangal Milan Committee, a local outfit, organised the session and invited the Baba,” Singh said.

While the police are saying the organisers’ greed for money led to overcrowding and tragedy, a local youth alleged that the Baba too charged at least ₹10 lakh per day’s sitting from organisers of satsangs.