Faridabad: Faridabad police have registered a criminal case against the operator of a giant swing and members of his staff in connection with the fatal accident at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela that claimed the life of a police inspector. The case has been filed under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
According to officials, the FIR has been lodged at the Surajkund police station, naming Mohammad Shakir, proprietor of Himachal Fun Care, as the primary accused. Shakir, a resident of Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district, was responsible for operating the “Tsunami” swing that collapsed during the fair on Saturday evening.
Police said the massive ride broke mid-air around 6 pm while several people were seated on it. Inspector Jagdish Prasad, who was deployed at the fair along with other personnel, immediately rushed in to assist the injured. During the rescue operation, the swing reportedly snapped again from the other side, crashing down on those helping at the site. Inspector Prasad sustained critical injuries and later died in hospital, while several others were hurt.
In his complaint, ASI Sunny stated that the tragedy occurred due to serious lapses in safety protocols by the swing operator and staff. He alleged that mandatory safety standards were ignored, placing both visitors and on-duty personnel at grave risk.
To ensure a thorough probe, the police have constituted a Special Investigation Team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Mukesh Kumar. The SIT will examine technical aspects of the ride, compliance with safety norms, accountability of those involved and any negligence that may have led to the incident.
Following the accident, authorities have sealed off the amusement ride section of the mela. However, the rest of the Surajkund fair continues to remain open to visitors as investigations progress.
