Pimpri-Chinchwad: A video showing a group of students confronting a police officer from the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) has gone viral, following the death of a student at Tolani Maritime Institute in Talegaon Dabhade.
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The incident comes in the backdrop of the tragic death of 20-year-old Vishal Verma, a second-year Marine Engineering student, who died after an iron basketball pole collapsed on him during practice on Sunday evening.
In the viral video, several college students are seen rushing towards and arguing with a police officer. The confrontation reportedly took place amid rising anger on campus over the handling of the incident and delays in action against the institute administration.
In the video, it can be seen that students are gheraoing the police officer angrily. One of them allegedly passes off a comment intended for the police officer, and the police officer confronts him. Then the crowd charges towards the police officer. Fortunately, the chaos subsided, and nobody was reported injured in it.
According to the family, Vishal was seriously injured when the rusted iron pole fell on his head while he was playing basketball. Eyewitnesses claimed he remained conscious for nearly 40 minutes and kept asking for help. However, he allegedly did not receive immediate medical attention due to the absence of an ambulance and staff.
Family Alleges Negligence...
He was later taken to the hospital, where he died during treatment.
The family has alleged negligence on the part of the institute, claiming that the sports equipment was old and poorly maintained. They have termed the incident a “murder” rather than an accident and have demanded strict action against those responsible.
They also claimed that despite submitting a complaint, no FIR had been registered initially, which further fuelled anger among students and led to protests on campus.
‘I Spent Rs 20 Lakh And...’
Vishal, a native of Ayodhya, was described as a bright student and a medal-winning athlete. His father said the family had spent around Rs 20 lakh on his education and is now seeking justice and accountability.
The incident has triggered outrage in academic circles and raised serious questions about safety standards and emergency preparedness in educational institutions.
Police have taken note of the situation, and further investigation into both the death and the protest is underway.
