Surajkund swing collapse kills policeman weeks before retirement; SIT begins probe

Faridabad: In a tragic incident, an on-duty policeman was killed, and 11 others were injured after a giant ‘Tsunami’ swing snapped mid-air and collapsed at the Surajkund fairgrounds in Faridabad on February 7. The deceased is Inspector Jagdish Prasad, who was due to retire in March.

Surajkund police have booked the swing operator and his staff under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The main accused in the FIR has been identified as Mohammad Shakir, proprietor of Himachal Fun Care, which operated the giant swing. He is a resident of Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh, police said.

Joyride ends up in tragedy
The tragedy struck the Surajkund International Crafts Mela on Saturday, around 6.15 pm, when about 19 people were riding the swing. It suddenly tilted and then crashed to the ground.

Inspector Jagdish Prasad, who joined the Haryana Armed Police in 1989 and was set to retire after completing 36 years of service, displayed great bravery while trying to rescue those trapped on the swing. However, he sustained severe injuries during the rescue attempt and later succumbed to them, a senior officer said.

According to a complaint filed by Assistant Sub-Inspector Sunny, he was present at the fairgrounds with Inspector Prasad when many people were enjoying the ‘Tsunami’ swing ride.

When the swing snapped mid-air, Prasad rushed to rescue those trapped. However, it broke from one side and collapsed, falling on them. The officer, a recipient of the Police Medal from the Haryana Governor in 2019–20, suffered serious injuries and later died at a hospital, reported PTI.

“The death of the inspector was caused due to the deliberate endangerment of people’s lives by Himachal Fun Care’s proprietor Mohammad Shakir and his staff, who failed to maintain safety standards,” the ASI stated in his complaint.

A four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by DCP (Crime) Mukesh Kumar and comprising ACP (Crime) Varun Dahiya and Sub-Inspector Sanjay Kumar of the Surajkund police station, is probing the case. The SIT has been tasked with conducting a detailed investigation, including fixing responsibility for negligence, if any, and assessing safety compliance measures.

Meanwhile, the district administration has announced that the fair will continue on February 8, with the swing area remaining closed pending further investigation.