Mumbai Tragedy: 11-Year-Old Boy Dies During Dahi Handi Practice In Dahisar; Pathak President Booked For Negligence

An 11-year-old boy allegedly died during the practice of Dahi Handi in Dahisar East on Sunday. The incident occurred in Hanuman Nagar, Ketkipada, Dahisar East. The deceased, identified as Mahesh Jadhav, was a member of the Navtarun Govinda Pathak. The Dahisar police have registered an FIR against Balu Soornar, President of Navtarun Mitra Mandal Pathak, under Sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 223 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Monday.

Tragic Fall During Practice

According to the police, Mahesh lived in Dharkhadi, Dahisar East. His mother works as a domestic help, his father is a labourer, and he has three younger brothers aged 8, 5, and 1. Mahesh was the eldest sibling. With Gokulashtami approaching, the Navtarun Govinda Pathak had been practising for the celebrations. However, the group reportedly did not provide any safety equipment to its members. Mahesh, the smallest in the team, was made to climb to the top of the Dahi Handi pyramid during practice on Sunday night. While on the top layer, he lost his balance and fell directly to the ground, as there were not enough people below to break his fall. He sustained severe injuries from the height and was rushed to a multispeciality hospital in Dahisar East, where doctors declared him dead. His body was later sent to Shatabdi Hospital for a post-mortem.

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FIR Filed Against Pathak President

Initially, the Dahisar police registered an accidental death case. Following a complaint by Mahesh’s mother, Samgita Jadhav, 30, a case was registered against the Pathak president on Monday. Investigators are also probing whether Mahesh’s foot got stuck during the climb, leading to the fall.

Call for Stricter Regulations

Experts have stressed that such training should only be conducted under professional supervision and with basic safety measures like helmets, safety belts, and mattresses. They caution that negligence in these practices can result in fatal accidents. Meanwhile, citizens have demanded that the government frame strict regulations for such competitive training events.