A minister has announced that the full cost of treatment for Nagesh Bhoir, a Thane-region resident who has been bedridden for 18 years after suffering a spinal injury in a Dahi Handi accident, will be covered. The announcement was made by Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik during a Dahi Handi event in Vartak Nagar, Thane, on September 5, 2026.
Bhoir was 24 when he fell from a human pyramid during a Dahi Handi celebration in 2009. According to the report, the fall caused a serious spinal injury, leaving him bedridden ever since. He continues to require medical treatment, medicines and physiotherapy.
Bhoir had sought assistance from the government not as a one-time financial payment, but for the ongoing cost of treatment at the hospital where he receives care. His condition requires hospitalisation approximately every two months, depending on his health, adding to the financial burden on his family.
In the early years after the accident, friends and acquaintances helped pay for his medical expenses. Over time, however, that support declined. A small number of friends have continued to assist with medicines, but the family has found it increasingly difficult to meet the cost of long-term treatment.
Sarnaik announced the support while interacting with Govinda teams at the Dahi Handi celebration organised by Sanskruti Pratishthan in Vartak Nagar. The report states that the minister said he would bear Bhoir’s complete treatment expenses, offering relief to the family after years of medical costs.
Dahi Handi celebrations in Thane and Mumbai commonly feature Govinda teams forming tall human pyramids, with organisers sometimes offering large cash prizes. The height of the formations and the risk of falls have repeatedly made safety a central concern around the festival. Bhoir’s injury highlights the potentially permanent consequences when participants suffer serious accidents during the event.
The report does not provide details on the mechanism through which the treatment expenses will be paid, the hospital involved, the estimated cost, or the timeline for implementation. It also does not specify whether the assistance will be administered through a government scheme or directly through the minister’s office. Further details on the support arrangement were not available in the report.
