The government of India’s Uttar Pradesh state on Tuesday suspended six police and government officials for their negligence and lapses which led to the deadly stampede in Hathras district, according to local media.

The decision was made after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted their report on the incident that occurred on July 2. According to reports from Indian media, the SIT held the organisers responsible for the stampede due to their negligence and failure to make arrangements to oversee the crowd. The report also stated that local law enforcement and administration did not oversee the situation carefully and failed to communicate appropriate information to senior officers.

The stampede occurred after the completion of a Hindu religious event in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. The stampede claimed the lives of more than 120 people, predominantly women and children, and seriously injured at least 150 more. The incident led to unrest, with demands for accountability and reservations about the measures taken by authorities. On July 7, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the state government would undertake a judicial probe into the occurrence.

The SIT submitted its report to the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday. Based on the investigation and actions taken until now, the SIT further concluded that it is not ruling out the likelihood of a significant conspiracy behind the incident and underscored the importance of a thorough investigation, according to Indian media reports.

In India, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is formed to investigate significant crimes when the current force is inadequate to complete the probe. The Supreme Court of India, the Union Government of India, and each state government have the authority to instruct the personnel engaged in such a case.