‘Serious safety lapses….a fair must be fair’: Haryana human rights body seeks report from police, state govt on Surajkund mela tragedy
The HHRC called for a detailed report from the Director General of Police on the circumstances of the inspector's death, compensation for his dependants, and safety measures for police personnel at mass events.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the swing collapse at the Surajkund International Crafts Melain Faridabad on February 7— that left one police inspector dead and over a dozen injured — the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has flagged “systemic safety deficiencies” at the fair and sought reports from all concerned authorities.
In an order dated February 12 and made public on Thursday, chairperson Justice Lalit Batra, judicial member Kuldip Jain, and Deep Bhatia described the incident as raising “serious concerns regarding violation of the fundamental right to life, safety and human dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.”
The HHRC called for a detailed report from the Director General of Police on the circumstances of the inspector’s death, compensation for his dependants, and safety measures for police personnel at mass events. It also sought reports from the Commissioner and Secretary of the Heritage and Tourism Department, the Vice-Chairman of the Surajkund Mela Authority, and the Chief Electrical Inspector on existing safety guidelines and steps to strengthen enforcement.
The state government was also urged to frame comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for fairs, incorporating mandatory certifications, inspections, and crowd management protocols. All reports are due at least one week before the next hearing on April 7, 2026.
The commission noted that its members were present at the mela that day for a human rights awareness camp and witnessed multiple safety lapses. Near the food court, a temporary entrance gate allegedly collapsed due to strong winds, injuring two or three persons, while a separate gate near Gate No 2 was found dangerously tilted and had to be removed, HHRC noted.
The order criticised the alleged makeshift nature of the structures, erected without adequate consideration of wind velocity, structural stability, or load-bearing capacity, and pointed to the absence of any records confirming a qualified technical committee had examined safety measures before the fair opened.
Further, the order stated: “….a ‘fair (mela) must be fair in all perspectives,’ meaning that along with cultural celebration and economic activity, equal emphasis must be placed on safety, accessibility, accountability and human dignity. Any fair that compromises on these essentials becomes, in effect, ‘quite unfair’ to the public.”
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The commission further noted inadequate emergency response teams, a shortage of trained rescue personnel and medical units, and uneven pathways hindering movement for vulnerable visitors.
The order added: “The public cause for which the life of Inspector Jagdish Prasad stood sacrificed should not go unnoticed; rather, it needs to be suitably honoured posthumously.”
It recommended a zero-tolerance approach to safety compromises at mass gatherings, calling for mandatory third-party safety audits, deployment of emergency teams and first-aid centres, weather-related risk assessments, and clear accountability measures.
Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced on February 10 that Haryana would frame what he described as the country’s first policy to regulate fairground and adventure rides, with daily inspections made mandatory. Currently, the state has no fixed protocol for such rides, nor any requirements for specialised training or verification for ride operators.
Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana.
Education
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020)
- B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019)
Professional Experience
Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features.
Reporting Interests
His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon.
Recent Coverage (2025)
- Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025).
- Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025).
- Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025).
- Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram.
- Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025).
- Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025).
Contact
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