Surajkund swing collapse: Ride operator and staffer arrested after accident kills cop

Police arrested two persons on Sunday, a day after a giant swing collapsed at the Surajkund Fair in Haryana's Faridabad. An on-duty police inspector was killed and over a dozen others were injured after the ride snapped mid-air and came down. The incident took place around 6:15 pm at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela on Saturday evening, when around 26 people were riding the swing.

On Sunday (February 8), the swing operator and a staffer were taken into custody. Police had earlier registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the swing operators, and booked them under Section 105 of the BNS. "A special investigation team formed to probe the incident has arrested two accused – Mohammad Shakir, a resident of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmour district, and the proprietor of Himachal Fun Care that operated the giant swing, and Nitesh from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, who worked under Shakir," a spokesperson for Faridabad Police told news agency PTI.

Police Inspector Jagdish Prasad, aged 58, died after being injured while trying to rescue those trapped in the swing. His body was handed over to his family on Sunday after an autopsy was carried out, police said. All injured individuals are undergoing treatment at the hospital. This was the second incident at the ongoing Surajkund Mela, after a designer gate had collapsed at the venue.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed officials to ensure that such incidents do not take place again, asking them to strictly adhere to safety standards at public events. Saini also said that an investigation has been ordered to determine the cause of the incident. The CM also extended condolences to the family of Inspector Prasad. A compensation of Rs 1 crore has been announced for the policeman's kin, along with a government job for one member of his family. At the fair site, the swing area has been cordoned off pending the investigation.