India stampede: main organiser of religious event surrenders to police
Devprakash Madhukar was named a key suspect in an initial report registered by police under charges including attempted culpable homicide, and police had announced a reward of 100,000 rupees ($1,200) for information leading to his arrest
The chief organiser of an Indian preacher's event where a stampede killed 121 people this week surrendered to police on Friday, a lawyer for the preacher said, after police had launched a manhunt.
Devprakash Madhukar was named a key suspect in an initial report registered by police under charges including attempted culpable homicide, and police had announced a reward of 100,000 rupees ($1,200) for information leading to his arrest.
AP Singh, lawyer for self-styled godman Bhole Baba, said Madhukar was the main organiser of the Hindu religious event on Tuesday attended by about 250,000 people in a village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. District authorities had permitted an event of only 80,000 people.
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"He has surrendered from Delhi. We are not seeking an anticipatory bail," Singh told reporters. He denied any wrongdoing by the event's organisers.
"He was getting treatment for a heart condition in a hospital," Singh said, referring to Madhukar. "We are not trying to hide."
