CHANDIGARH: Haryana Police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and arrested a swing operator and his staff following a fatal ride collapse at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela, in which a police inspector lost his life while attempting to rescue members of the public. Eleven others were injured in the incident.
Inspector Jagdish Prasad (58) died after a giant “Tsunami” swing snapped mid-air and crashed on Saturday evening. In recognition of his bravery, the Haryana government has announced that Prasad will be accorded martyr status, while his family will receive Rs 1 crore as compensation and a government job for one family member.
The Faridabad police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) at Surajkund police station against Mohammad Shakir, proprietor of Himachal Fun Care and a resident of Toka Nangla village in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district, along with his staff member Nitesh, a resident of Dharmapuri in Meerut Cantt, Uttar Pradesh. Both have been arrested under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
According to the police, around 19 people were on the swing when it tilted and snapped from one side at approximately 6 pm. Inspector Prasad, along with other police personnel, rushed to rescue those trapped. While the rescue was underway, the swing snapped from the other side and collapsed on the rescuers, causing serious injuries.
An Assistant Sub-Inspector, in his complaint, stated that Inspector Prasad suffered grievous injuries during the rescue operation and later succumbed in hospital. The complaint alleged that the incident occurred due to gross negligence and failure to adhere to mandatory safety standards by the swing operator and his staff.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted, headed by DCP (Crime) Mukesh Kumar, with ACP (Crime) Varun Dahiya, in-charge of the Crime Branch, NIT, and Sub-Inspector Sanjay Kumar of Surajkund police station as members. The SIT will examine all aspects of the incident, including safety compliance, responsibility and possible negligence. In addition, a committee led by the Additional Deputy Commissioner will conduct a separate administrative inquiry.
Meanwhile, the district administration has stated that the 39th Surajkund International Crafts Festival will continue, though the entire swing area has been shut down pending the outcome of the investigation.
Haryana Director General of Police Ajay Singhal praised Inspector Prasad’s courage, stating that he sacrificed his life while saving others. Prasad joined the Haryana Armed Police in 1989 and was due to retire next month. He is survived by his wife Sudha, daughters Nidhi and Deepti, and son Gaurav. The incident has sent shockwaves through his native village Dengra in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh. The family was residing in government accommodation at the Sonipat Police Lines.
This marks the third major accident involving swings at the Surajkund fair. In 2002, a youth died following a similar incident, leading to the suspension of swings for several years. In 2019, another youth was injured, after which swings were again suspended before later being reinstated, citing revenue considerations.