Mumbai After spending one-and-half month in hospital, Prathamesh Vijay Sawant, the 21-year-old Govinda passed away at KEM on Saturday.
Sawant was severely injured during Dahi Handi in Ghatkopar East when the entire pyramid collapsed on his him on August 19. Medical officers at KEM hospital said Sawant, who is the second Govinda to die this Dahi Handi, had suffered injuries to his spine and suffered a cardiac arrest which led to his death on Saturday.
KEM Hospital dean Dr Sangeeta Ravat, said that Prathamesh was initially brought in with very severe crush injuries and damage to his spine.
“He was in the ICU throughout his hospital stay. Despite all the care given to him by our team, there was continuous fluctuations in blood pressure. The moment we tried to make him sit upright, his blood pressure would fall severely,” she said.
He had to be put on ventilator as respiratory muscles were also very weak. There was signs of improvement and he could even breathe without the ventilator. “He had a sudden cardiac arrest on Friday night. The doctors revived him then. However, they could not save him when he suffered a second arrest on Saturday morning,” Dr Ravat added.
After the incident he was rushed to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar but later shifted to KEM. He had suffered severe damage to the C5 spinal cord, resulting in paralysis of both the upper and lower body – known as quadriplegia.
“Our members at Sai Bhakt Krida Mandal, Curry Road, participate in various activities, like carrying out Sai Baba’s Palanquin from Mumbai to Shirdi, walking all the way to Shirdi and in Dahi Handis in and around Mumbai. On the fateful day, we had formed the pyramid in Ghatkopar East and Sawant was part of the lower support group. Boys at the top of pyramid lost control and fell on him which left him injured,” said Ajay Mandhare, a local from Currey Road who knew Sawant well.
Sawant was pursuing an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) course from an institute in Parel and also working as a delivery boy. “He had recently lost his parents. His mother died due to cancer in 2019 and he his father thereafter,” said Rajesh Hatale, BJP vice-president of the Mumbai unit.
“Sawant used to stay with his uncle in Ghatkopar, but visited us regularly in Curry Road. The boys would visit him at the hospital every day try to motivate him. However, death of a patient on the next bed had affected him negatively,” said Bharat Hirgude, a neighbour of the deceased.
Hiruge said, members of the mandal had contributed ₹ 5,000 each for his treatment. Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde has also given ₹ 5 lakhs while other mandals also chipped in.
Former Thane mayor Naresh Mhaske, who had met Sawant and handed over the amount of ₹5 lakhs given by Shinde, said, “Besides money, we had also directed the doctors to take proper care and provide all necessary medicines free of cost.”
Shiv Sena leader Anil Kokil insisted that the government should make sure that his family gets ₹10 lakhs insurance amount, as he died due to an accident during Dahi Handi celebrations.
“I am going to move a contempt petition in this matter. This is the second death this year due to Dahi Handi. Sandesh Dalvi (24) from Vile Parle died on August 24 at a private hospital. The police hardly take any action against the organisers who don’t follow the guidelines set by the Bombay high court like keeping a mat, safety belts and proper helmets,” said Swati Patil, who had filed a PIL on the Dahi Handi, which led to restrictions on the height of human pyramids during the festival. Patil said more than 100 youths were injured during the festival this year.
After Dalvi’s death the Vile Parle police had registered an offence under section 304A (causing death by negligence) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life) and arrested the organisers.
Ravidutta Sawant senior police inspector of Pantnagar police station said that they have registered a case of accidental death as there is no complaint so far.
(With inputs from Payal Gwalani)