- By Surarika Das
- Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:05 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A 20-year-old cadet died after the rim of a basketball hoop structure fell on him in Maharashtra's Pune area. The deceased has been identified as Vishal Verma, who was a cadet at Pune's Tolani Maritime Institute.
The incident took place on Sunday, when the 20-year-old man was doing pull-ups on the basketball hoop and the entire frame fell on him. The victim then suffered serious injuries on his head. As he was bleeding heavily, he was taken to the hospital immediately. However, it was too late and the doctors declared him dead.
Reports revealed that the deceased was a resident of Basti in Uttar Pradesh and had joined the Maritime Institute in 2024. The four-year BTech course was to be ended in 2028.
Pune, Maharashtra: Police inspector, Santosh Patil says, "This morning at Tolani Institute, a second-year Marine Engineering student, Vishal Verma, was going for his morning jogging activity towards his hostel when he reached the basketball ground... He was taken to the hostel,… pic.twitter.com/RkEZSnvxnE
— IANS (@ians_india) April 5, 2026
The institute's Principal , Dr Sanjeet Kanungo, said that the incident was very tragic. He asserted that the young cadet was trying to do pull-ups when the entire frame collapsed on him. He further asserted that an investigation will take place, NDTV reported.
According to the police, the cadets of the institute demanded a detailed inquiry about the incident. Subsequently, a case of accidental death has been registered in the police station. An investigation has been launched to know the exact cause of death.
Similar Incidents
A few months ago, in a similar incident, a 16-year-old national basketball player lost his life in Haryana's Rohtak. The deceased was identified as Hardik Rathi. According to reports, Hardik was practicing in the court. He was clutching the basket's rim when the pole collapsed and crushed him.
The entire incident was captured on CCTV footage. The footage showed the player taking a lap and reaching for the hoop, appearing to practice a dunk. As he hangs from the pole, the iron structure collapses and the rim of the basketball hoop strikes him in the chest.
The other players, presumably his teammates, can be seen rushing to help him. The footage shows the player struggling to get up while the others lift the fallen pole off him.
In a similar accident, a 15-year-old in Haryana's Bahadurgarh district died.
The repeated incidents raise serious concerns about the country's sports infrastructure.