A Police Medal Awardee, Was To Retire In March: Cop Who Died At Surajkund While Saving Others

As an amusement ride started tilting at Surajkund Mela in Haryana’s Faridabad on Saturday, on-duty inspector Jagdish Prasad, along with two female constables, rushed to the spot to evacuate people riding the ‘tsunami’ swing.

While trying to rescue the panicked people, Inspector Prasad sustained a head injury and later succumbed to the wound during treatment.

According to a report by NDTV, Prasad, 57, was a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura and posted in Haryana’s Palwal district. On January 31, he had been assigned to Surajkund Mela duty.

In 1989, he had joined the Haryana Armed Police and was set to retire in March after serving the force for a long 36 years. He was known among his collegues for a deep sense of responsibility, discipline and dedication.

He was awarded the Police Medal by the Haryana governor in 2019-20, according to a report by PTI.

Prasad is survived by wife, two daughters, and a son. One of the Prasad’s brother, Pradeep, is a teacher and lives in their native village with his parents — Surajmal and Shanti Devi.

According to the PTI report, his other brother Satish Chandra works at a chemical factory in Ballabgarh, and another brother Chandrabhan Singh is an employee at a motor company in Faridabad.

Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) Ajay Singhal announced that inspector Jagdish Prasad would be given the status of a martyr and that his family would be given Rs 1 crore as per policy, along with other benefits provided by the police department.

DGP Singhal added that Jagdish’s contribution and commitment will always remain a source of inspiration.

Moreover, 13 people were also injured as the ‘tsunami’ ride snapped mid-air, and dropped to the ground. They were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

As soon as the incident occurred, people were evacuated from the fair and the crashed ride was removed from the spot.

An FIR has been registered against the vendor. A committee led by the additional deputy commissioner will conduct a probe into the incident.