The deaths of two Ganesh devotees in the Kalachowki electrocution incident have prompted Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar to urge Ganesh mandals across Mumbai to strictly follow safety rules, while police investigate the incident and collect evidence.
Shelar visited the victims’ families at KEM Hospital and said every mandal must remain vigilant during festival-related arrangements. He also said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and police had been asked to make the necessary arrangements to transport the body of one of the victims to her village.
“Police have registered an FIR, and instructions have been given to collect all evidence and proceed with further action,” Shelar said, according to the Times of India report. The statement indicates that the investigation has moved beyond the immediate incident to the collection and examination of material evidence.
The incident has placed attention on the safety systems surrounding temporary festival installations in Mumbai. Ganesh mandals typically organise public displays and gatherings that require coordination between organisers, civic authorities and the police. Shelar’s appeal places responsibility on mandals to comply with safety rules, while his reference to arrangements by the BMC and police points to the role of public agencies in managing the consequences and wider safety requirements.
The deaths have also triggered demands for an examination of administrative responsibility. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray described the incident as extremely tragic. The Congress called for an immediate impartial inquiry and questioned whether the government and administration had adequately fulfilled their responsibilities towards devotees.
In a statement, the party said that public announcements made in the name of festivals must be matched by proper arrangements for the safety of devotees. It characterised the incident as raising questions about alleged administrative negligence. Those claims remain part of the political response and will need to be assessed through the police investigation and any inquiry ordered by the authorities.
The available report does not provide details of the electrical equipment, the precise circumstances of the electrocution, the location of the installation involved or whether any safety inspection had taken place before the incident. These details will be important in establishing how the deaths occurred and whether safety rules were breached.
For Mumbai’s festival administration, the immediate official steps are the police FIR, evidence collection and arrangements for the victims’ families. Shelar has also urged all Ganesh mandals to follow safety rules as the authorities proceed with further action.
