Basketball player’s death: Rights panel expresses displeasure over report, orders inquiry

Chandigarh: The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has expressed its displeasure towards the report submitted by the deputy commissioner, Rohtak, into the incident at a sports nursery located in Lakhan Majra village, where a basketball pole collapsed, resulting in the death of Hardik, an emerging national-level minor player. While finally disposing of the case, commission chairperson Justice Lalit Batra issued significant directions and recommendations in the larger public interest, which included directions to the principal secretary to the govt of Haryana, sports department, Chandigarh, to constitute a high-powered inquiry committee.
The committee shall determine the precise cause of the incident and fix responsibility upon the concerned officials, engineers, or contractors. In its order, the commission observed thaton the basis of the facts placed before it, the incident prima facie disclosed a grave violation of human rights, particularly the right to life, safety, and dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India."In compliance with the commission's order dated Dec 18, 2025, a report was submitted by the deputy commissioner, Rohtak. However, the report does not provide any substantive details regarding the actual cause of the incident, adherence to safety standards, or the grant of compensation to the bereaved family. It merely refers to the sanction of ₹17,80,294/- from the MPLADS portal for the construction of a basketball stadium," the commission observed, adding that "although an Inquiry Committee was constituted on November 26, 2025, its detailed report is not yet submitted."The commission maintained that there also appeared to be no clear mechanism in place concerning safety inspections of sports equipment and infrastructure, periodic structural stability assessments, or a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for compensation. In his latest order, Chairperson Batra observed that the State of Haryana was consistently at the forefront of sporting excellence and invested substantial public funds in the development of sports infrastructure. The commission categorically held that if the basketball pole was rusted and in a hazardous condition, and if, despite repeated warnings, it was neither repaired nor replaced, such inaction would amount to gross negligence and dereliction of statutory duty on the part of the concerned officials. MSID:: 128675955 413 |