A day after Dahi Handi celebrations, Mumbai police today said they had registered 21 cases for violation of the Supreme Court’s order which restricted the height of human pyramids and prohibited participation of minors in the event. However, “To increase the height is very scary”, was the Supreme Court’s response on Wednesday, refusing to rethink its 20-feet cap for the handi. While another mandal used a ladder to break the traditional “pot” and also displayed a black flag apparently to protest against the SC ruling on the festival.
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Another local Ranjeet echoing similar sentiment said this is a protest against the apex court’s order.
Dahi handi enthusiasts have pointed out that the handi will get no medals, but at 49 feet, the organisers were attempting to smash a world record set by a Mumbai-based group that had a handi at 43 feet some years ago.
“Now, I ask where are those who instigated these gullible Govindas to break the law and break their own hands and legs”, Shelar said in an apparent dig at parties like Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena which had expressed unhappiness over the apex courts order.
Talking to mediapersons after the Naupada police registered a case against him, a nonchalant Jadhav said, “I have not committed any crime”.
The top court had on August 17 barred teenagers below the age of 18 from taking part in a human pyramid while fixing its height to a maximum of 20 feet.
Sena said the police, instead of going about their duty of catching criminals, will now have to roam around places to ensure the implementation of the SC’s guidelines and keep a watch on the height of human pyramids and age of “govindas”.
Till 6 p.m., various government hospitals had over a 100 injured Dahi Handi participants from different parts of Mumbai and Thane but a majority were discharged after treatment of their injuries and the rest admitted as under observation.
Mumbai: A Mumbaikar has managed to bypass the recent Supreme Court verdict on limiting the height of Dahi Handi to 21 meters, and in the process, managed to win the dahi handi competition in Mulund.
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Over 3,000 mandals had organised Dahi Handi events across Mumbai and adjoining areas.
