Fall killer in fun fair
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Calcutta Telegraph, India
Jamshedpur, May 29: The case of Santosh K. Gupta’s death after falling from the giant wheel at the Disneyland Art and Handicraft Mela on Sunday took a new turn today as post-mortem reports revealed he was not drunk.
Contrary to claims made by mela organisers stating Gupta was inebriated at the time of accident, the post-mortem report states the victim had not consumed even a drop of alcohol, proving that organisers had made false claims to save their skin.
Gupta (22) died during treatment in the emergency ward of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital after falling from the giant wheel on Sunday.
“The victim died to head injury due to a fall from a height of 15 feet. A close examination of the injury shows that at the time of fall, pressure of the body was on the head,†said a hospital source.
Gupta had not consumed any type of toxic substance that could have led to loss of physical balance. “All the organs were thoroughly examined and no trace of alcohol or any other toxic substance was found in his body,†he added.
After hearing the post-mortem findings, mela manager Chandra Shekhar claimed today that his earlier claims had been based on the information provided by the giant wheel staff.
“The staff told me that Gupta was drunk at the time of accident. They said they had advised Gupta not to sit on the swing fearing he may fall. If the post-mortem report suggests that the victim has not consumed alcohol I have nothing to say against it,†he said.
Admitting that chances of an accidental fall cannot be ruled out, he also tried to defend the organisers on the compensation provided to Gupta’s family.
“We have nothing against the victim. So we immediately agreed to pay Rs 1.75 lakh to his kin. We did every thing possible both to save him and ensure sustenance of the family,†said Shekhar, adding he has decided to conduct surprise checks to ensure the staff do not ignore their duties.