Mumbai company contracted to organise event where 14 died, had sub-contracted it; probe on

Concept Communication in turn sub-contracted the event to a company in Thane which is Eknath Shinde’s home ground. This company, Light and Shade Events, has in the past done work for both Eknath Shinde and his son and Thane’s Member of Parliament Shrikant Shinde. The company has also produced a film, Anathancha Nath as part of Eknath Shinde’s image-building exercise

Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday announced a probe into the deaths of 14 people from heat and dehydration during the Maharashtra Bhushan Award function on Sunday.

Kharghar: Followers during presentation of Maharashtra Bhushan Award 2022 to social worker and reformer 'Nirupankar' Dattatreya Narayan Dharmadhikari, known as Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, in Kharghar, Sunday, April 16, 2023. (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade) (PTI04_16_2023_000229B) (PTI)

A Mumbai public relations company, Concept Communication, which was supposed to manage the mega show with over 10 lakh people in attendance, had in fact sub-contracted the arrangements to another smaller company in Thane.

Concept Communication was paid ₹13.6 crore by the publicity department of the state government to organise the show at Kharghar where union home minister Amit Shah was the chief guest. The PR firm, one of four companies empanelled with the state government, had previously produced a series of short films on the achievements of Eknath Shinde when he was Urban Development minister.

Concept Communication in turn sub-contracted the event to a company in Thane which is Eknath Shinde’s home ground. This company, Light and Shade Events, has in the past done work for both Eknath Shinde and his son and Thane’s Member of Parliament Shrikant Shinde. The company has also produced a film, Anathancha Nath as part of Eknath Shinde’s image-building exercise.

However, neither man had answers to why there was no pandal erected overhead for the lakhs who attended the afternoon event, or why there was no easy availability of water. There was only one covered VIP pandal. While most people died of sunstroke, a few who fainted were also crushed or injured when people, desperate for shade and water, overran each other. “In the video (released by NCP leader Jitendra Awhad who claimed there was a stampede-like situation at the event), I can clearly see my sister who has fallen and is probably unconscious and many people are just walking all over her,” says Sunil Mestri. “She must have suffered injuries and if indeed that is the case, why does the post-mortem only mention death due to dehydration?” His sister Meenakshi’s post-mortem report, accessed by HT, certifies her death caused by ‘acute renal failure due to dehydration in case of sunstroke with atherosclerotic heart disease.’

“If a road accident is caused due to potholes or any other issue, the contractor who built the road, is booked and questioned. In this case, why is the organiser of the event not being questioned? The government must have given the contract to someone. So many crores of rupees were spent on what? Just on the stage and the shelter for VIPs? These things need to be investigated,” said Sunil Mestri. “My sister went there as a devotee and not to die, surely.”

The opposition parties in the state have demanded a judicial probe into the mismanagement of the state’s showpiece event. While the Director General of Information and Public Relations, Jayshree Bhoj has already been transferred, CM Shinde also announced a single member committee under additional chief secretary (revenue) Nitin Kareer to probe the incident.

The committee will also recommend steps and precautions to be taken while organizing events with large gathering in the future. It has been given a month’s time to submit its findings.

(With inputs from Raina Assainar)