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Basketball court, pull ups, then fall: 20-year-old Marine Engineering student dies in Pune
Talegaon MIDC police said Vishal Verma decided to do pull-ups on the basketball structure. But within moments, things took a tragic turn.
A quiet Sunday morning routine turned fatal for a 20-year-old Marine Engineering student in Pune, after a basketball structure collapsed on him inside his college campus in Induri, Maval.
Vishal Varma, a second-year student originally from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, had just finished his morning routine and was heading back to his room when he briefly stopped at an empty basketball court on campus – a pause that would turn fatal.
A routine stop turned deadly
According to the Talegaon MIDC police, Vishal decided to do pull-ups on the basketball structure. But within moments, things took a tragic turn.
“The basketball structure was broken and collapsed. He came under an iron pole and was seriously injured,” Senior police inspector Santosh Patil said.
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The impact left him with a severe scarf fracture.
Following the incident, Vishal was immediately taken to a nearby hospital in the Talegaon area. Despite efforts to save him, doctors declared him dead on arrival.
There have also been allegations that the ambulance reached late, though officials have said there is no confirmation on this so far.
Questions over safety, probe underway
The incident has raised concerns over the condition and maintenance of sports infrastructure within the campus.
Police have registered an accidental death report at the Talegaon MIDC police station. Officials said a detailed investigation is underway, and a decision on whether there was any negligence will be taken based on the findings.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Verma had enrolled in a B Tech Marine Engineering course at Tolani Maritime Institute, Pune, in 2024. He was expected to complete the programme in 2028.
