Lucknow:, March 6 -- A three-member judicial inquiry commission has failed to nail preacher Suraj Pal alias Bhole Baba directly for lapses that claimed 121 lives in a stampede at Hathras on July 2, 2024 after a religious congregation.

The commission has, however, observed that the evidence indicated towards people being misled and "andhvishwas" (superstition) and "kuritiyan" (evil practices) being spread at the venue of the Bhole Baba's Satsang.

It has pointed out serious lapses in police/administrative arrangements for crowd management, observing that the organisers stopped the police/administration from performing their duties and possibilities of a criminal conspiracy to defame the government or gaining some benefits may not be ruled...