Mumbai: After student’s death, Vasai playground to be reserved for sports

The Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation VVCMC which has been leasing out the Vasant Nagari playground in Vasai East for commercial events for the past seven years is now under scrutiny following the tragic electrocution of 22yearold student Harsh Sain during a Holi sammelan on Monday nightThe 1000squaremetre playground originally designated for sports had been repeatedly rented out by VVCMC officials for various events In response to the incident Deputy Municipal Commissioner DMC Sameer Bhumkar told midday that from April 1 all playgrounds would be reserved exclusively for sports activitiesIt was DMC Bhumkar who granted permission to Maladbased event organiser Amit Kumar Tiwari for a 17day event at the playground for which the civic body received Rs 17000The 1000 sq m playground originally designated for sports is repeatedly rented out by VVCMC for various events PicsHanif PatelWhen questioned about the continuous commercial exploitation of the playground Bhumkar responded ldquoI will have to check if it was officially reserved as a playground The assistant municipal commissioner had been leasing out the space for events However from April 1 all playgrounds will be strictly reserved for sports activitiesrdquoResidents outragedJoseph Varghese secretary of the Federation for Vasant Nagri Residents expressed outrage saying ldquoWhy did it take the tragic loss of a young life for civic officials to realise that the playground should never have been rented out We have been fighting this for years and have written multiple letters to VVCMC officials but they never respondedrdquoVarghese further criticised the civic body stating ldquoThe DMC granted permission for an event where a young boy lost his life This happened right under the nose of VVCMC Commissioner Anil Kumar Pawar The officials responsible must be booked and arrestedrdquoHarsh Sain was electrocuted during Holi functionThe Holi Sammelan featured amusement rides including a giant wheel attracting a large crowd Following Sainrsquos death an enraged public dismantled the entire setup Sainrsquos cousin Kailash Gehlot confirmed to midday that the 22yearold a college student from Kandivli had attended the Holi event with friends when he was electrocutedFIR filed but key accused missingThe Achole police have registered an FIR against operator Vijay Chauhan under Sections 1061 causing death by negligence and 35 common intention of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita However the eventrsquos organiser Amit Kumar Tiwari has not been named in the FIRLocal sources revealed that Tiwari a resident of Hariya Chawl in Malad West initially approached the AMC for permission to hold the event from March 7 to March 23 When his application was rejected he allegedly used political connections to pressure the VVCMCrsquos head office securing approval for a 200x200 sq ft areaDespite strong opposition from local residents the VVCMC has continued granting thirdparty event permissions ldquoThis playground sees large gatherings almost every day We have repeatedly written to the municipal corporation and local MLAs requesting that it be reserved solely for sports but our pleas have been ignoredrdquo said VargheseldquoThe playground is regularly leased out for commercial activities weddings and noisy events that disturb students and senior citizensrdquo he added A letter sent to VVCMC Commissioner Anil Kumar Pawar and the MLAs of Nalasopara and Vasai on March 3 went unansweredMunicipal officials pass the buckAssistant Municipal Commissioner Alka Khaire denied granting permission stating ldquoThe organiser secured approval from the VVCMC head office Deputy Municipal Commissioner Sameer Bhumkar granted him permissionrdquoBhumkar admitted issuing the permit explaining ldquoThe AMC only grants permission for events up to seven days Since Tiwari needed the space for longer he approached me The playground was rented at Rs 1000 per day and he paid Rs 17000rdquoHowever Bhumkar emphasised that the event had strict terms and conditions which the organiser violated leading to the FIR ldquoNecessary permissions from the traffic department fire NOC and safety measures were required The organiser was responsible for security crowd control and law enforcement The municipal corporation was not liable for any accidentsrdquo he said adding that the permission has now been revokedEyewitness account of the tragedyAn 18yearold student a friend of Sain and the complainant in the FIR recounted the harrowing incident ldquoWe were six friends enjoying the event A new amusement ride had just been set up and we went near the counter When I accidentally touched an iron net near the cash counter I got a mild electric shock I warned the cashier that it was dangerous but he initially dismissed my concerns After I insisted he tested it and disconnected the power supplyrdquoHowever another friend soon experienced a similar shock ldquoWe got distracted but then Harsh leaned against the same iron net Unlike us he got stuck We screamed for help One friend tried pulling his shirt while I kicked him from the side causing him to fallrdquo he recalledSain was rushed to a private hospital where he was given first aid but doctors suggested transferring him to a civic hospital in Nalasopara where he was declared dead on arrival Meanwhile Achole police stationrsquos Senior Inspector Sujitkumar Pawar confirmed ldquoWe have arrested the ride operator Vijay Chauhan and our investigation is ongoingrdquoMondayDay of the incident