Mumbai: Airoli Dahi Handi turns fatal as 34-year-old Govinda dies after pyramid collapses

Thirtyfouryearold Swapnil Sadanand Navar left his Ghansoli Koliwada home on Saturday morning after telling his mother he would return with a gift for her By night he was deadSwapnil the sole earning member of his family died after a human pyramid collapsed during a Dahi Handi celebration at Sainathwadi in Airoli around 830 pm He was critically injured in the fall and was rushed to hospital where he was declared deadSwapnil Navar 34 standing behind two other Govindas was part of the human pyramid that collapsed during a Dahi Handi event in Airoli on Saturday PicsBy Special ArrangementFor his family the loss also means losing the income they depended on They live in a rented house Swapnilrsquos mother sold flowers on the street and worked at an anganwadi while his elder brother had no regular source of income Swapnil was unmarried and drove tourist vehicles occasionally without a permanent jobldquoIn the morning he told his mother that he would give her a good gift Unfortunately she received the news of his death insteadrdquo said a fruit seller from Ghansoli Koliwada who spoke on condition of anonymityThe familySwapnil Navar 34 unmarriedHome Ghansoli KoliwadaWork Drove tourist vehicles occasionallyFamily Parents and elder brotherHousing Rented homeFamily income Depended largely on SwapnilFather Sadanand Navar was in their native place for Ganpati preparations and returned to Navi Mumbai after learning of his sonrsquos death reaching around 430 pm on Sunday according to the fruit sellerWhat happened830 pm Saturday Human pyramid collapses during a Dahi Handi organised by the Devidas Chougule Dahi Handi Mandal at Sainathwadi AiroliSwapnil Was part of the pyramid and suffered critical injuries in the fallAfter the collapse He was rushed to the hospital and declared deadSunday His father returned from their native place after hearing about the deathCase statusPolice station RabaleCase registered Accidental death report ADRFIR against organisergtgt None so fargtgt Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse including the number of tiers in the pyramid and other factorsgtgt The organiser Sunil Chaugule of Devidas Chaugule Dahi Handi could not be reached for comment despite several attemptsGroup in shockMembers of the Govinda group that Swapnil was part of had been practising for nearly 20 days according to one of its member who did not wish to be named The group practised from 10 pm to 1 am on the ground in front of Swapnilrsquos home ldquoWe never expected that Swapnil would leave us like thisrdquo a member of the Govinda group saidlsquoWe will help the familyrsquoDwarkanath Bhoir former corporator and Shiv Sena leaderlsquoSwapnil Nawar is from a poor family and lost his life after falling from the Dahi Handi pyramid We will try our level best to help his family and will also help them get compensation It is unfortunate that he went happily to enjoy the festival but lost his lifersquoGhanshyam Madhavi former corporator and BJP leaderlsquoEfforts will be made to seek compensation for the family after Swapnilrsquos funeral and other ritualsrsquoPolice speakBalkrishna Sawant senior police inspector Rabale police stationlsquoWe have registered an accidental death report and are now further investigating the circumstances in which the human pyramid collapsed including the number of tiers and other factors surrounding the accidentrsquo