A 58-year-old police inspector who died trying to save people after a swing collapsed at the Surajkund fair in Faridabad has been awarded a police medal by the Governor of Haryana in 2019-2020. Jagadish Prasad, who joined the Haryana Armed Police in 1989, is due to retire in March and was in charge at the time of the incident.
Police Inspector Jagdish Prasad was trying to rescue those trapped in the swing but succumbed to his injuries. (PTI)At least 13 people were injured and a police inspector was killed when a swing fell to the ground at Surajkund Craft Fair in Faridabad around 6 pm on Saturday.
The police inspector was trying to rescue those trapped in the swing but succumbed to his injuries. Two women constables were also injured in the rescue operation.
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A brother of Jagdish Prasad said that they got the news at 8 pm on Saturday. “My brother was awarded Police Medal by the Governor in 2019-20,” he said.
Haryana DGP Ajay Singhal announced the compensation on Saturday night ₹News agency PTI reported that Rs 1 crore and one of his family members will be given a government job for the brave inspector.
The DGP lauded Prasad’s sacrifice to save others and said he would be accorded martyr status.
Meanwhile, the district administration also informed that the 39th Surajkund International Crafts Fair will continue on Sunday, with the swing area closed for further investigation. A case has been registered against the swing seller and a committee headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner will investigate the accident.
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Also read: Gate collapse, then swing accident: Two accidents in one evening at Surajkund Mela
The death of the inspector was a shock to his wife and childrenJagadish Prasad’s sudden death leaves his wife, two daughters and a son in mourning. All his children are still students, and his family lives in a government residence in Sonipat Police Lines.
One of his brothers, Pradeep, lives in their native village in Dengra, Mathura and teaches for a living. His other brother Satish Chandra works in a chemical factory in Ballabgarh and third brother Chandrabhan Singh works in a motor company in Faridabad.
The incident has raised serious concerns over the safety of visitors to the fair, its third such incident. Despite one death in 2002 and one injury in 2019, there was another fatality on Saturday.
In 2002, a young man died after falling on a swing at Surajkund Mela area. At that time, the swing was suspended for several years, the report said. Another incident occurred in 2019 when a youth was injured, then suspended again before the swings resumed, keeping in mind their earnings.
Officials say strict rules have been imposed for setting up swings, requiring daily inspections.
