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32-yr-old 'Govinda' falls to death while tying Dahi Handi in Mumbai; 30 injured citywide
The man was taken to the civic-run Shatabdi Govandi Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
A 32-year-old man fell to his death while tying 'Dahi Handi' in Mumbai's Mankhurd on Saturday afternoon, PTI reported.
According to a civic official, Jagmohan Shivkiran Chaudhari was tying the 'Dahi Handi' to a rope from the first-floor window grille of his house in Maharashtra Nagar when he fell.
He was taken to the civic-run Shatabdi Govandi Hospital, where he was declared brought dead, the official said, according to PTI.
Besides this incident, at least 30 other people taking part in the formation of human pyramids synonymous with the celebrations were injured across the city.
According to officials, fifteen of the 30 were hospitalised, while the remaining were discharged after treatment.
The thirty injured persons comprise 18 from the island city, and six each from the eastern and western parts of the metropolis, the officials said.
Earlier this week, an 11-year-old died in Mumbai after falling during a practice session ahead of the Dahi Handi event during Janmashtami.
The incident occurred on Sunday night when the victim, Mahesh Ramesh Jadhav, suffered a head injury after a fall in Mumbai’s Dahisar area. His fall to the ground was not prevented by a mattress, other humans, or a helmet.
Following the incident, the boy's mother, Sangeetha, filed a complaint with the Dahisar police, who booked the Mandal president booked for negligence.
Dahi Handi festivals are celebrated every year across India to mark the birth of Lord Krishna. This year, the festival will fall on August 16, and people are already practising the formation of multi-tiered human pyramids to break Dahi Handi.
As reported by HT, the state government in July had announced insurance coverage to 1.5 lakh Govindas participating in Dahi Handi festivities through Oriental Insurance Company. In case of death during the sport, a maximum payout of ₹10 lakh was assured to the kin of the deceased.
Children below the age of 14 years are not allowed to take part in Dahi Handis, as per the state government’s statement which was accepted by the Bombay high court in 2017.
