Hathras Stampede: Who Is The Police Constable-Turned-Preacher Bhole Baba?

Bhole Baba, the self-styled preacher, is the one who organised the religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, which ended in a massive stampede, claiming at least 122 lives. Uttar Pradesh Police have been conducting a search operation since last night for Bhole Baba, aka Narayan Sakaar Hari. The state government has also registered an FIR against the organisers of the event.

Multiple reports suggest that Bhole Baba, who has been absconding since Tuesday, is a former policeman in the UP Police's Local Intelligence Unit. He served as a head constable for more than 15 years. In 1999, he reportedly opted for voluntary retirement from the service. Bhole Baba, who is only seen in public in white clothes, started giving sermons and organising ‘satsang’ after quitting service and also changed his name to Narayan Sakaar Hari. Hindustan Times, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the popularity of Baba surged with time and attracted thousands of followers. 

The followers of Bhole Baba are mainly said to be from western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Haryana. This is not the first time the self-styled godman has landed in a controversy. In May 2022, during the Covid-19 wave, he organised a similar satsang in UP's Farrukhabad, even as cases of Covid were on the rise. While authorities granted permission for only 50 people, over 50,000 people reportedly participated in the event, defying all regulations. Bhole Baba also has a security team named "Narayani Sena."