11-year-old falls to death during Dahi Handi practice in Mumbai

Highlighting the negligence of the organising committee, police said that the safety measures should have been taken during the practice.

An 11-year-old died in Mumbai after falling during a practice session ahead of the Dahil Handi event during Janmashtami. The incident occurred on Sunday night when the victim, Mahesh Ramesh Jadhav, suffered a head injury after a fall in Mumbai’s Dahisar area.

At around 10:45 pm, Mahesh climbed to the sixth level of the pyramid and suddenly lost his balance and fell before catching the safety rope.(PTI)

The teenager was part of Govinda Navtarun Mitra Mandal team and was practising the formation of a human pyramid when the incident happened.

At around 10:45 pm, Mahesh climbed to the sixth level of the pyramid and suddenly lost his balance and fell before catching the safety rope. Mahesh was immediately taken to Pragati Hospital, where he died during the treatment.

Dahisar Police initially registered an Accidental Death report, but on Sunday afternoon, the police registered a case against Balaji alias Balu Ramesh Surnar, the president of the Navtarun Mitra Mandal, who organised the Dahi Handi practice, Indian Express reported. The case has been registered under death by negligence against Surnar. Highlighting the negligence of the committee, police said that the safety measures should have been taken during the practice.

Jadhav used to participate in the Dahi Handi festival every year. An official pointed out that no helmets, belts, or safety harnesses are used during such practices, which increases the possibility of such incidents, officials told PTI.

According to the report, police officials say that while Surnar has not been arrested, legal action will be taken against him for neglecting safety measures. He allowed children below the age of 14 years to participate in the human pyramid, which is a violation of the 2014 Bombay High Court order. Bombay High Court barred minors from taking part in Dahi Handi festivals and imposed a height restriction of 20 feet for the human pyramids.

Dahi Handi festivals are celebrated every year across India to mark the birth of Lord Krishna. This year, the festival will fall on August 16, and people are already practising the formation of multi-tiered human pyramids to break Dahi Handi.