Advocate Moves Maharashtra Human Rights Commission Over Ganpati Pandal Safety After Lalbaug Electrocution

Mumbai: A Mumbai-based advocate has approached the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC), seeking urgent intervention over alleged safety lapses at Ganpati pandals, particularly at the Mahaganpati Mandal in Kalachowki, Lalbaug, where an electrocution incident allegedly claimed two lives and left four others injured.

Advocate Ashish Rai, in his complaint filed before the Commission on Monday, has sought interim directions to ensure electrical, structural and crowd safety at Ganpati pandals across Maharashtra during the ongoing Ganeshotsav. He has alleged lapses on the part of the police, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), BEST, the state government and Ganpati mandals in ensuring the safety of devotees.

Complaint filed over pandal safety

According to the complaint, during the intervening night of September 19 and 20, between around 2 am and 2.40 am, a tarpaulin erected near the Mahaganpati Mandal was allegedly pulled down, causing a live electrical wire to snap and fall near the entrance of the pandal.

The wire allegedly came into contact with accumulated rainwater, resulting in electric current spreading through the area where devotees, including children, were present.

The complaint states that an eight-year-old girl was declared dead at Masina Hospital, Byculla, while a woman undergoing treatment at Global Hospital, Parel, also succumbed to her injuries.

Four others — Kiran Akbar Naik (19), Tanvi Narkhede (19), Sahil Sandeep Tare (19) and Ruhi Singh (12) — allegedly sustained serious injuries and were hospitalised, with some reportedly shifted to intensive care.

Safety inspections sought

Seeking immediate interim relief, Rai has urged the MSHRC to direct the police and municipal authorities to conduct electrical and structural safety inspections of all high-footfall Ganpati pandals within 48 hours.

He has further sought directions to restrict entry or close pandals where serious safety risks are detected.

The advocate has also sought directions to the Mahaganpati Mandal to prevent devotees from entering hazardous areas until its electrical installations are inspected and certified by the competent authority.

He has sought immediate barricading around exposed electrical wires and waterlogged areas.

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Additional safety measures requested

The complaint further seeks additional police deployment, medical teams, fire-safety arrangements and crowd-control personnel at crowded pandals during the remaining days of Ganeshotsav and the immersion processions.

Among the final directions sought by Rai are identification and mapping of high-footfall pandals across Maharashtra, mandatory crowd-management arrangements, CCTV surveillance, first-aid centres, fire-safety measures and strict inspection and certification of electrical installations.

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