Mangaluru: Mangaluru South Police have booked the owner of a convention hall and the organiser of a student event following the collapse of a parapet or retaining wall that killed a 16-year-old student and injured four others.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at Rama Laxmi Narayan Convention Hall in Emmekere, where students had gathered for an oath-taking ceremony involving newly elected office-bearers of the All College Student Association. The student, identified as Mohammed Shamaz, later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.
Police have booked building owner Parikshith Rai and event organiser and advocate Dinakar Shetty following a complaint from the deceased student’s father, Mohammad Eliyas. The case concerns alleged negligence and safety lapses, and the investigation is continuing.
Student dies after wall collapses
The incident took place at around 2.50 pm when a large number of students were present at the convention hall.
According to police and reports, some students had gathered on the first-floor passage to watch a rally of newly elected student office-bearers approaching the venue. As students leaned against the parapet or retaining wall, a portion of the structure gave way.
Shamaz, who was standing below the building, was struck by the falling structure. He suffered serious injuries to his head, shoulders and legs and was taken to Highland Hospital for treatment.
He was initially reported to have been declared brain-dead. Despite treatment, he died at around 11.33 pm on Saturday. He was a second-year PU commerce student at St Aloysius PU College and a resident of Haleyangadi.
Four others injured
Four other people were injured in the collapse. They have been identified as Mohammed Shanan Ahmed, 18, Haneef, 23, Dawood Farsin Ahmed, 18, and Mohammed Shakeel Hussain, 18.
According to PTI, the four injured youths were undergoing treatment and their condition was reported to be stable.
The incident occurred amid a gathering of students for the oath-taking ceremony. Reports said the crowd had assembled as the rally of the newly elected office-bearers approached the convention hall.
Building owner and organiser booked
Following the incident, Shamaz’s father filed a complaint with the police.
Based on the complaint, Mangaluru South Police booked convention hall owner Parikshith Rai and event organiser Dinakar Shetty.
The FIR was registered under Sections 106(1), 125(a), 125(b) and 290 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to reports. These provisions relate to causing death by negligence, acts endangering life or personal safety, and public nuisance.
Police are investigating whether safety precautions were adequate at the venue and whether the gathering was conducted in conditions that posed a risk to students.
The registration of an FIR and the allegations in the complaint do not establish guilt. The allegations will be examined as part of the investigation and subsequent legal process.
Complaint raises safety concerns
In his complaint, Shamaz’s father alleged that the building was in a poor or dilapidated condition.
He alleged that the building owner permitted the gathering without adequate safety precautions and that the organiser failed to ensure the safety of students or warn them about the condition of the structure. These claims are allegations contained in the complaint and have not been established by the police investigation.
Police are also examining the circumstances surrounding the crowd and the condition of the parapet wall.
Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said the investigation was focused on alleged safety violations, structural deficiencies and overcrowding-related negligence.
Students had gathered near the parapet
According to the police account, students had moved towards the first-floor passage to watch the rally as it approached the convention hall.
A separate report quoted a student as saying that several students had gathered in the balcony area and that the building was old. The student suggested that the condition of the structure may have contributed to the incident. Such witness observations remain part of the information being examined and do not by themselves establish the cause of the collapse.
The incident has raised questions about crowd management and structural safety at venues hosting large gatherings, particularly where students and young people are involved.
Police continue investigation
The police investigation is expected to examine the structural condition of the building, the circumstances under which the event was organised, the number of people present and the safety arrangements made at the venue.
Officials will also have to establish how and why the parapet wall failed and whether any prior warnings or safety concerns existed.
The case could also bring attention to the responsibility of venue owners and event organisers to ensure that buildings and gathering spaces are safe before allowing large groups to assemble.
For now, police have registered the case and begun investigating the allegations against the building owner and organiser.
Conclusion
The death of 16-year-old Mohammed Shamaz following the parapet wall collapse at a Mangaluru convention hall has led police to book the building owner and event organiser for alleged negligence.
Four other people were injured in the incident and are undergoing treatment. Police are investigating the condition of the structure, crowd management and safety arrangements at the event. The case remains under investigation, and the allegations against those booked are yet to be established through due legal process.