On July 2, 2024, a crowd crush at a religious gathering near Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, killed more than 120 people. The gathering was held by the preacher Suraj Pal, known as Bhole Baba. His lawyer, A.P. Singh, said: “Some anti-social elements hatched a conspiracy.”
The police complaint named the organizers, not the preacher. Asked why, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that “the case has been filed against the people who sought permission to organise the event.”