Pimpri-Chinchwad: A festive gathering ended in tragedy late Friday night in the Old Sangvi locality under the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate, where a 45-year-old woman lost her life after a portion of a heavy iron arch structure collapsed onto her head. The fatal mishap occurred shortly after the local Dahi Handi festivities concluded and contracted laborers were disassembling the temporary metal truss framework. The deceased has been identified as Salma Salauddin Pathan (45), a local resident of Old Sangvi. For verified civic governance guidelines, police advisories, and municipal event safety protocols, explore the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Portal.

Incident Sequence: Fatal Impact During Dismantling Operations

The public event had been organized by the local Vighnaharta Dahi Handi Mandal in Old Sangvi. According to eyewitness accounts and local authorities, celebrations had wound down late on Friday night as crowds began dispersing from the street:

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  • Structural Failure: Contracted workers commenced the unbolting and taking down of the overhead iron arch and stage truss frames erected across the street.
  • Blunt Cranial Trauma: While unfastening upper supports, an unanchored iron rod and a section of the heavy framework gave way, plummeting directly onto Pathan, who was standing nearby alongside her husband.
  • Declared Dead on Arrival: Pathan sustained catastrophic head injuries and severe blunt-force trauma. While bystanders and relatives rushed her to a nearby hospital, medical officers declared her dead on arrival.

Family Declines Criminal Complaint; Police File ADR

Investigating officers revealed that Pathan's son is an active member and youth volunteer with the organizing mandal. Citing close community bonds and expressing a desire that neighborhood youths not face formal litigation, the bereaved family requested police not to initiate a criminal complaint on their behalf. Consequently, the Sangvi Police Station registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR).

However, senior law enforcement officials underlined that procedural negligence will not be bypassed. Senior Police Inspector Jitendra Koli clarified that despite the family's reluctance, police teams are independently probing whether fundamental safety protocols were compromised during the dismantling. If procedural lapses, missing perimeter cordons, or criminal negligence by the erection contractor are established, a formal FIR under corresponding sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) will be registered.

Renewed Scrutiny Over Festive Infrastructure Safety

The fatal accident has triggered grief across Old Sangvi and renewed demands for comprehensive municipal regulation over street-spanning pandals, heavy steel trusses, and scaffolding erected during public festivals across the twin cities. Civic groups have highlighted that while local permissions focus primarily on sound limits and traffic diversions, civic and police bodies rarely enforce mandatory hardhat zones, cordoned safety perimeters, or certified structural dismantling procedures in dense residential lanes.