BTech student dies during Ganesh procession, family blames loud music
Hyderabad : A 19-year-old engineering student participating in a Ganesh Agaman procession died after allegedly suffering a heart attack on Saturday evening. Based on a complaint by his father, Musheerabad police registered a case under Section 194 (suspicious death) of the BNSS. Cops said the incident occurred around 8.30 pm on Saturday when the procession was passing through the Ram Nagar crossroads in Musheerabad. A crowd of nearly 10,000 people had gathered for the celebratory procession, with participants playing loud music and bursting crackers, according to them.
Though there was no stampede, the teenager may have struggled to get enough oxygen amid the crowd and collapsed,” said L Rajesh, sub-inspector, Musheerabad. “We need to investigate further to ascertain the exact cause of death,” he added. I appeal to the police to ensure that no other mother loses her son like this,” she said.
Family members of the teenager, S Badrinath, alleged that the loud music played by a DJ led to his death, even as police suspect that a stampede-like situation may have contributed to the tragedy. “When the crackers burst, people in the procession, including Badrinath, who was standing at a sweet shop, started rushing away. This led to jostling and chaos. Following the incident, Badrinath’s family claimed that the blaring DJ and deafening sound of firecrackers led to the BTech student’s death. Musheerabad police, however, denied that a DJ was used during the procession. They claimed that the music system and some speakers were transported in a separate vehicle, which was far away from where Badrinath collapsed. They added that minutes before his death, Badrinath was dancing along with others in the procession that was taking the Ganesh idol to a nearby lane in Ram Nagar ahead of the festival. Preliminary reports indicate that he had suffered a heart attack. “What kind of grand celebration is this with loud music, firecrackers and other disturbances?
However, Badrinath’s mother, Vijaya Lakshmi, claimed that the blaring DJ music might have resulted in the tragedy and appealed to the police on Sunday to take steps to prevent the use of DJs during such celebrations.