Mumbai tragedy: 11-year-old dies after fall from sixth-tier Dahi Handi pyramid; FIR filed against mandal president | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: An 11-year-old boy died after falling off the sixth tier of a Dahi Handi pyramid during a practice session in Dahisar (East) late on Sunday. The incident occurred days before the Gopalkala festival, which falls on Aug 16, plunging the neighbourhood into gloom. An FIR was registered against the Dahi Handi mandal president for negligence. Under state govt guidelines, children below 14 years of age are not allowed to participate in Dahi Handi pyramids.Mahesh Jadhav was the oldest son of migrant labourers from Gulbarga, Karnataka. For the last three or four years, he was associated with Nav Tarun Mitra Mandal, a local Dahi Handi group from Dahisar. On Sunday, the group’s members got together for a practice session in an open space at Ketkipada. Witnesses said Jadhav was at a considerable height when he lost his balance and fell directly to the ground with not enough people in the pyramid below him. He suffered severe head injuries due to the fall — which occurred around 9.40 pm — and lost consciousness.“The other members of the mandal rushed him to a private hospital in Dahisar where he succumbed to his injuries. His parents were home at the time of the incident and rushed to the hospital when they learnt of what had happened,” said a local resident.

“No safety equipment such as helmets or safety belts were provided to the child. Besides, no precautionary measures such as using ropes or mattresses were taken by the mandal before Jadhav was hoisted up to the sixth tier of the human pyramid. Based on a statement given by Jadhav’s mother, Sangeeta, we have registered an FIR under sections 106 (1) and 223 of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita for ‘causing death by negligence’ and ‘ignoring a legally issued public order’ against the mandal president, Balaji Surnar,” said a senior police official. No arrest has been made so far.Jadhav is survived by his parents and three younger siblings. The family resides at Dharakhadi in Dahisar and are not in a good state financially. Jadhav had not been enrolled in school.An autopsy examination was performed at the Borivli post-mortem centre on Monday, before the body was handed over to Jadhav’s parents.Despite legal directives and safety guidelines, enforcement of rules on Dahi Handi pyramids has been patchy. Reports reveal that many mandals still neglect proper safety equipment, raising fresh concerns especially ahead of the festival.