The private security persons with Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba alias Suraj Pal, a former constable with the Uttar Pradesh police, had a scuffle with the devotees running towards the convoy of the “godman” which led to the stampede that killed at least 121 people, according to a report submitted to the Hathras district magistrate.

The report was signed by the sub-collector of Sikandararau, who was present at the venue. The incident happened at Phulrai Mughagarhi, under Sikandararau in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh, around 52 km north of Agra.

“Around 1.40 pm, the Baba left the pandal,” said the report, which is in Hindi. “There were many men, women and children standing on the road linked to the national highway-91 and heading towards Etah. A huge crowd was waiting on the GT Road and jumped across the divider and started running towards his vehicle. To stop the public from reaching the Baba, his security men and associates (sevadar) started pushing the people away [bheed ke saath swayam hi dhakka mukki karna shuru kar diya]..

“Some people fell down but the crowd could not be controlled and there was a commotion.”

According to the report, over 2 lakh people had assembled at the event held under a makeshift pandal.

The report says the crowd ran towards an open field with a slope, where the crowd slid and fell and could not get up while others from the crowd ran over their bodies.

Administrative sources said the death toll could rise further.

Till Tuesday, the death toll was mentioned as 116. Among the victims 89 were declared “brought dead” at a local hospital in Sikandararu, while 27 others died on the way to Etah. On Wednesday morning, the death toll was revised to 121.