The police inspector who died while trying to rescue people who were on a speed pendulum swing at a fair in Haryana will be accorded martyr status, officials said on Sunday.
The accident occurred at the 39th Surajkund International Crafts Festival on Saturday evening when a pendulum swing with two dozen people on it collapsed due to a technical malfunction.
#WATCH | Faridabad, Haryana: Visuals from Surajkund Mela where a joyride collapsed yesterday, injuring 12 people.
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2026
One Police Inspector died while trying to save people. pic.twitter.com/g5iTxyzCNp
Inspector Jagdish Prasad, who was on duty in the area, immediately rushed to offer assistance and led the rescue efforts. While helping people evacuate, he sustained serious injuries and succumbed during treatment.
What really happened?
The crafts mela is an annual event which showcases traditional arts and handicrafts, which attracts thousands to the fair.
Eyewitnesses said that the Tsunami Swing, a popular pendulum-style amusement ride jammed about 2-3 feet above the ground with about two dozen people on board at around 6:15 pm on Saturday.
Fair officials and the ride operators attempted to manually lower passengers to safety. The ride’s structural supports reportedly gave way, and the swing crashed down.
The inspector, Jaddish Prasad, 59, was among those at ground level working to assist the evacuation efforts when the structure collapsed.
13 people were injured and were rushed to hospitals, with several reported to the in critical conditions. Two of them were women constables.
An hour before the incident, gate number 2 at the fariground had reportedly collapsed, injuring a visitor, Hindustan Times reported.
The injured was identified as Sumit Malhotra, a resident of Sector 28. A child was also hurt in the incident, and both were taken to BK Hospital for treatment, police said.
Insoector Jagdish was set to retire in March after completing 36 years of service.
He sustained severe injuries to his face and head as he tried to save the people on the ride.
He joined the police force in 1988 and was a recipient of a police medal. He is survived by his wife Sudha Sharma, two daughters Nidhi and Deepti and a son Gaurav.
