E-Paper
Kickboxer dies during state-level championship in Bengaluru
The police have registered a case under Section 304 (a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for causing death by negligence against the organisers.
Bengaluru police have booked the organisers of a kickboxing championship after a participant died during a match. 23-year-old Nikhil died after taking a punch to his face. A video of the incident, that has since gone viral, showed Nikhil kicking the opponent and receiving a counter punch. He then collapsed in the ring.
Senior Bengaluru police officer said that Nikhil is a resident of Mysuru and the youngest son of Vimala R and Suresh P. “The video came to light recently, but the incident took place on Sunday (July 10). He was on ventilator support till Wednesday, after which he was declared dead by the hospital authorities. We have filed an FIR based on the parent’s complaint,” said a Jnana Bharathi police station official.
The tournament was organised at the Pai International Building, located in Jnana Jyothi Nagar. In the video, it can be seen that no immediate assistance was provided after Nikhil fell on the floor. It was only after the referee realised that the kickboxer was not breathing that the organisers came into the ring. He was shifted to G M Hospital in Nagarabhavi in Bengaluru in an unconscious state and died on Wednesday.
The parents of Nikhil have lodged a complaint in the Jnanabharathi police station of Bengaluru against the organisers of the event alleging negligence. They have also mentioned in the complaint that there was no arrangement of doctors and an ambulance at the spot during the championship.
The Jnana Bharathi police said they have registered a case under Section 304 (a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for causing death by negligence against the organisers and are investigating Nikhil’s death.
Laxman B Nimbargi, deputy commissioner of police (West) said, "the case has been registered against the organisers, we are going to verify whether they had taken permission to conduct the championship and what safety measures were taken during the event and further necessary action will be taken".
Nikhil’s father said blamed the organisers for the death of his son.
“He had informed me that he was going for the kickboxing competition, but I didn’t know what arrangement they had (at the venue). It was only later I realised that the event was held on the 5th floor of a building, which delayed taking him to the hospital. He wasn’t breathing. There were no medical professionals present at the location, so they could have removed his mouth guard to let him breathe or no provision for oxygen was provided. There was negligence in every aspect as far as the organisers were concerned,” said Suresh.
Suresh said that it was his wife who received the call about the incident, around 6 pm from a person who said their son had sustained injuries. “By the time we reached Bengaluru, doctors said that the oxygen supply to his brain was cut off. It took more than 20 minutes for him to reach the hospital and during this time, his brain was deprived of oxygen. Apart from that, he was transferred to the hospital in a private vehicle without any stretcher by people who didn’t know how to handle such a situation,” Suresh added.
Suresh also alleged that the organiser Naveen Ravi Shankar had switched off his mobile phone following the accident. He also claimed that Nikhil’s coach was also to be blamed as he didn’t accompany him to the competition.
Nikhil's coach, Vikram Nagaraj, however, took to social media to express anguish at the lack of medical facilities by the organisers and maintained that the situation could have been averted.
"Had there been an ambulance, trained medical staff and a standard fighting platform at the venue he wouldn't have lost those precious golden moments when the tragedy struck and could have saved him from this agony? This cries for a major overhaul in the mindset of organizers and associations to follow safety protocols which are already in place for combat sports."
Reacting to the father’s allegations Vikram said that his assistant coaches were present at the location and the death was the result of the organiser's negligence.
