A peaceful Sunday morning routine turned deadly for a 20-year-old marine engineering student in Pune, after a basketball frame collapsed on him inside his college campus in Indore, Maval.
Vishal Varma, a second-year student originally from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, had just finished his morning routine and was returning to his room when he stopped briefly at an empty basketball court on campus — a pause that would prove fatal.
A routine stop turned deadly
According to Talegaon MIDC police, Vishal decided to make pulls on the basketball frame. But within moments, things took a tragic turn.
“The basketball frame broke and collapsed. He fell under an iron pole and sustained serious injuries,” Senior Police Inspector Santosh Patel said.
Read also | Her friend refused to marry, and a man from Faridabad dies by suicide during a video call with her
The impact resulted in a severe fracture of the scarf.
Following the incident, Vishal was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital in Talegaon area. Despite efforts to save him, doctors declared him dead on arrival.
There were also allegations that the ambulance arrived late, although officials said there was no confirmation of this yet.
Questions about safety, investigation underway
The incident raised concerns about the condition and maintenance of the sports infrastructure on campus.
Police registered an accidental death report at Talegaon MIDC police station. Officials said a detailed investigation is underway and a decision on whether there was any negligence will be made based on the findings.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Verma joined the B Tech Marine Engineering course at Tolani Marine Institute, Pune, in 2024. He was expected to complete the program in 2028.
