Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari, known to his followers as ‘Bhole Baba’, the man behind the tragic incident where a stampede during his satsang on Tuesday led to 121 deaths, was arrested in 2000, in Agra after allegedly taking the body of a 16-year-old girl from her family, claiming he could bring her back to life. However, the case was later closed.

Suraj Pal, the self-styled preacher was seen by his followers as one who can cure illnesses, heal, and act as an exorcist to rid people of evil spirits.

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For more than 20 years, after leaving the Uttar Pradesh Police in the 1990s where he was Constable Suraj Pal from Kasganj, to becoming a self-proclaimed religious preacher, Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari gained a large following, mostly among low-income Dalit families. These families work as laborers, builders, farm workers, cleaners, carpenters, or sell carpets.

According to a report by The Indian Express, what attracted them to ‘Bhole Baba’, also from a Dalit background, was his refusal to accept any offerings. “Baba does not take or ask for anything. In his satsang, he would tell us not to lie, and not to consume meat, fish, egg and alcohol,” said Urmila Devi, who attended with her sister Taramati.

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Taramati, a widow, was among those injured. Both sisters reside in Mathura. It was Taramati’s fourth time attending a satsang by ‘Bhole Baba’, and she had invited her sister to join this time. Like the two sisters, most female devotees are aged between 40 and 70. “As the satsang was concluding, Bhole Baba said, “aaj pralay aayegi, aur phir pralay aa gayee (today is doomsday, and he was right),” said Taramati from her hospital bed.

In Donkeli village, Hathras district, ‘Bhole Baba’ reportedly has 10 to 12 main followers (sevadars) in each village. “They inform villagers about the satsang and arrange transportation in cars and buses to the venue,” said a local resident. Many of his followers wear a yellow locket with his photo around their necks.

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Authorities have claimed that the rush among devotees to collect dust from the preacher’s feet contributed to the stampede. Vivek Thakur, an auto-rickshaw driver from the village, explained that followers believe applying the dust from ‘Bhole Baba’s’ feet can heal ailments.

In Sokhana village, Hathras, where four people died in the stampede, residents noted that ‘Bhole Baba’ often performed exorcisms, primarily on young girls. ‘At the satsang yesterday, there were more than 100 people who were possessed, and he cured them all,’ claimed a villager anonymously.

“He would ask followers to perform good deeds so that they would be rewarded with a better life in their next birth. He told us that if we followed the path of good, we would be born into better circumstances in our next life,” added some women in Damadpura in Sikandrarao.

Retired police officer Tejveer Singh recalled an incident from March 2000 when he was the Station House Officer of Shahganj, Agra. “Suraj Pal, along with 200-250 people, arrived at the cremation ground where the body of a 16-year-old girl had been brought by her family. Suraj Pal and the others stopped the family from performing the last rites and tried to convince them that he could resurrect her,” he said.

According to police records, the girl, Sneh Lata, was a local resident’s daughter. The retired police officer explained how Suraj Pal and his supporters forcibly took the body from the family. When police intervened, they argued and pelted stones. Additional forces were called in, and Suraj Pal along with others were arrested.

The case was registered under IPC Section 109 and the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Agra, Suraj Kumar Rai confirmed the arrests and subsequent investigation. ‘Based on the evidence collected during the further investigation, a closure report was filed in the case,’ Rai said. The closure report was filed on December 2, 2000, according to police records.