Faridabad, February 8 Police arrested an operator and one of his staff members on Sunday, a day after an inspector and 12 others were injured when a giant "Tsunami" swing snapped mid-air and collapsed at the Surajkund fairgrounds here.
The incident occurred at the 39th Surajkund International Crafts Mela on Saturday evening, when about 19 people were riding the swing before it suddenly tilted and then crashed to the ground.
Inspector Jagdish Prasad (58), who died while trying to rescue people, joined the Haryana Armed Police in 1989 and was scheduled to retire in March after 36 years of service, according to officials.
His body was handed over to his family on Sunday after an autopsy, police said.
"A special investigation team has been formed to probe the incident, and has arrested two individuals – Mohammad Shakir, a resident of Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh, and the owner of Himachal Fun Care, which operated the giant swing, and Nitesh from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, who worked for Shakir. The investigation is ongoing," said Yashpal, a spokesperson for the Faridabad police.
A total of 12 people were injured in the accident, including ASI Neelam, female constable Sharmila, SPO Rajesh, Harsh Prakash, Prashant, Amisha, Parvinder, Sunil, Shivani, Balbir, Anuj, and Pooja, Yashpal said, adding that five of them have been discharged from the hospital.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini directed officials to ensure strict adherence to safety standards at the fair and other public events.
"The government stands with the family of Jagdish Prasad during this difficult time. Those seriously injured will receive financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each from the state government," Saini said.
Meanwhile, the fair will continue on Sunday, with the swing area cordoned off pending further investigation, according to the district administration.
Haryana DGP Ajay Singhal announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for Inspector Prasad and a government job for one of his family members on Saturday.
Stating that Prasad will be given the status of a martyr, the DGP praised the officer for sacrificing his life to save others.
DGP Singhal and Faridabad Commissioner Satendra Kumar Gupta met Prasad's family and offered their condolences on Sunday. They also visited a hospital to inquire about the injured, police said.
"Inspector Jagdish Prasad made a commendable effort to rescue the injured while on duty. His death is a profound tragedy for the police department," DGP Singhal said.
"The department will provide financial assistance to the family as much as possible, and employment will be provided to an eligible member under the compassionate leave policy," he added.
On Sunday, Tourism Director Parth Gupta and Faridabad Deputy Commissioner Ayush Sinha inspected the fairgrounds to review security arrangements.
The accident occurred barely an hour after a gate collapsed at the fairgrounds, injuring two, including a child, officials said.
Police had previously formed a four-member SIT to investigate the case, headed by DCP (Crime) Mukesh Kumar, with ACP (Crime) Varun Dahiya and sub-inspector Sanjay Kumar from the Surajkund police station as members, a senior police officer said.
The SIT is tasked with investigating the incident, including fixing responsibility for any negligence, and evaluating adherence to safety compliance measures.
According to a complaint filed by Assistant Sub-inspector Sunny, he was present at the fairgrounds with Inspector Prasad when many people were seen enjoying the "Tsunami" ride.
As the swing snapped mid-air, Prasad was seen trying to rescue those trapped in it. However, the swing suddenly collapsed after breaking from one side and fell on them.
Prasad, who suffered serious injuries, died at a hospital later.
"The death of the inspector was caused due to the deliberate endangerment of people's lives by Himachal Fun Fair's proprietor Mohammad Shakir and his staff, who did not maintain the safety standards," ASI said in his complaint.
The district administration has also formed a committee to probe the case, headed by Satbir Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Mela Administrator.
The members include DCP Maqsood Ahmed, Arvind Gupta, HoD, mechanical department, YMCA University, Hitesh Kumar, Executive Engineer (mechanical), and Ashwini Gaur, Executive Engineer (electrical).
Meanwhile, the fair entered its ninth day on Sunday with the atmosphere heavy with grief, as people offered prayers for Prasad and the injured persons.
"In light of the recent unfortunate incident, the swing area has been temporarily closed as a precautionary measure pending further investigation. The matter is being investigated and safety standards are being thoroughly reviewed. All other cultural, craft, food, and entertainment events within the festival complex are completely safe and running smoothly," the authorities said in a statement.
The safety of tourists and the general public is the top priority of the administration and the fair authority, it said.
The sudden demise of Prasad, who is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son, all students and unmarried, has shocked his native village Dengra in Mathura district.
One of Prasad’s brothers, Pradeep, is a teacher and lives in the village with his father Surajmal and mother Shanti Devi. His other brother, Satish Chandra, works at a chemical factory in Ballabgarh, while another, Chandrabhan Singh, works at a motor company in Faridabad.
“We received the news at 8 pm on Saturday. His wife Sudha lives with her two daughters, Nidhi and Deepti, and son Gaurav, in a government accommodation in the Sonipat Police Lines. My brother was awarded the Police Medal by the governor in 2019-20,” Pradeep said.
This was the third such accident involving a swing at the Surajkund fair, raising questions about the organisers’ safety claims.
Despite a death in 2002 and an injury in 2019, Saturday saw another fatality. In 2002, a young man died on a swing in the Surajkund fair area. At that time, swings were suspended for a few years.
Another accident in 2019 injured a young man, after which swings were again suspended before being restarted, keeping in view the revenues they generated.
According to officials, strict rules are in place for installing swings, for which daily inspections need to be conducted.