2 children injured in dahi handi celebrations now out of danger

Mumbai: Twelve-year-old Sujal Ghadapkar from Ulhasnagar, who suffered a serious head injury during Thursday’s dahi handi celebrations, was out of danger on Friday, doctors said. Kandivli boy Dhiraj Kahar, 9, showed remarkable improvement too and even spoke to his parents.

Sujal and his elder brothers, Krishna and Prasad, thought they would earn quick money by participating and help their family. Their father, Umesh, is a daily wage labourer. “We are worried about his medical expenses,” said a friend of Sujal, who fell from the sixth tier of a human pyramid.

Doctors at Fortis Hospital in Kalyan said Sujal was clinically stable and neurologically in a better state. “He is on ventilator and continues to be monitored round-the-clock,” the hospital said.

The dahi handi placed at a higher level than 20 feet was organized by Shiv Sena and Yuva Sena of Ulhasnagar city. Vithalwadi police registered a case against Rajesh Mane, who took permission, and Sujal’s group president, Yogesh Dange.

But Ulhasnagar president Rajendra Chaudhari and Yuva Sena president Dheeraj Thakur, whose faces were plastered on all posters, have not been named by the police. Chaudhari said the Sena will bear his medical expenses.

Dhiraj’s family had a sleepless night till he regained consciousness and started talking on Friday. He is in the surgical ICU of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar municipal general hospital in Kandivli. His father, Vinod, a driver, said, “We are not part of any mandal. He was practising with friends to participate in the neighbourhood when he fell from the sixth tier.” Doctors said he suffered a minor fracture of the skull bone but surgery was not advised immediately. “He is stable and out of danger,” said Dr Krishkanth Pimple, the hospital’s medical superintendent.

Thursday’s revelry left 162 injured, of which over 15% will require surgery and rehabilitation of a few months. Nearly 48 govindas continued to be under treatment on Friday. Most city hospitals said

injuries

were fewer and less in severity this year.

At

KEM

Hospital, Parel, which usually treats a deluge of cases, 20 were admitted with fractures, blunt trauma and bruises. “Of those admitted, four will require surgery. Overall, it was a safe dahi handi,” said Dr S K Srivastava, head of orthopaedics.