National-level wrestler electrocuted by a loose wire in flooded stadium, dies

All he was doing was helping out others clear a flooded stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Vishal Kumar Verma, a national-level wrestler was found unconscious in a bathroom at the Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi and was rushed to the Ranchi Sadar hospital where he was declared brought dead.

He, apparently, had died along the way. Doctors confirmed that he had died of electrocution. A live wire hanging loose in the bathroom is believed to have struck him while he was pumping out water from the room at the stadium. He was the sole bread-winner of the family with three unmarried sisters.

Police officer Shyamanand Mandal, speaking to the media, said, "A preliminary investigation has revealed that death was due to electrocution. Vishal was using a water pump to clear out the water when the incident took place. Faulty wiring seems to be main cause for this incident."

25-year-old Vishal Verma had wrestled at national level in India since 2005. In fact, in a recent national tournament, he had finished fourth. The state wrestling association has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for his family, apart from Rs 10,000 every month till one of his four sisters gets a job. The wrestler's death has brewed up controversies regarding the shoddy facilities provided by the sports authorities.

For instance, Bholanath Singh, the secretary of Jharkhand's wrestling association held the Ranchi Municipal Corporation for the incident. Speaking to the Telegraph, he said, "The RMC has been claiming renovation of the stadium for years, but changes are far from visible. The ground floor is almost always flooded in monsoon."

Another source, under condition of anonymity, said, "The building has been labelled risky (by RMC), but players still live there and offices function. Sustained negligence has cost a life." He further said, "It is extremely unfortunate. I don’t know why he went to the office which is sunk in deep waters. The situation of the stadium is pathetic and the building is in ruins. We have demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation from the government for the kin of Kumar."

However, brushing all allegations aside was the Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam general manager, Ganesh Jha, who said, " An executive engineer visited the site and reported that there is no fault in the power connection provided by JBVNL. However, there could be a loose connection in the building's internal electrical wiring." Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Wrestling Association has demanded that the state government provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the nearest kin of the wrestler. 

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