Balrampur Girl’s Death: DJ Owner and Operator Arrested, Outpost In-Charge Suspended as Probe Continues

Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh: The investigation into the death of a seven-year-old schoolgirl who collapsed inside her classroom during a Ganesh idol immersion procession has intensified, with Balrampur police arresting the owner and operator of the DJ system used in the procession.

The Class 2 student, identified as Vaishnavi Tiwari, collapsed at Divine Public School on Monday, September 21, while an immersion procession accompanied by loud music was passing near the school. She was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have said they are examining whether the loud DJ music and vibrations from the procession had any connection with the incident. However, officials have also clarified that they have not established that the girl’s death was caused by the DJ sound. The exact medical cause of death remains undetermined.

DJ owner and operator arrested

Balrampur police registered an FIR at Kotwali Nagar police station on Wednesday following a complaint by school manager Ashish Kumar Upadhyaya.

The police arrested Chandra Prakash Verma, owner of Balaji Hi-Tech DJ, and Rampal Saini, who was operating the DJ system during the procession.

According to police, the two men have been booked under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to culpable homicide, and Section 223, concerning disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant.

Investigators have seized the pick-up vehicle carrying the DJ equipment along with the sound system and other equipment allegedly used during the procession. Police are now examining whether the sound system was being operated in violation of prescribed noise limits or other conditions applicable to public and religious processions.

What happened inside the classroom?

According to Balrampur ASP Vishal Pandey, Vaishnavi was attending her Class 2 lessons at around 10:58 am on Monday when she suddenly collapsed from her seat.

School authorities told police that the child appeared normal before the incident. She reportedly regained consciousness briefly after collapsing but then fell again and did not respond to attempts by teachers to revive her.

She was subsequently taken to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

The Ganesh immersion procession was passing close to the school around the same time, prompting police to examine whether there was any connection between the procession, the sound system and the girl’s collapse.

A teacher, Iqra Khan, reportedly told investigators that the DJ sound became louder when Vaishnavi’s condition deteriorated and that vibrations could be felt inside the classroom.

Police are now examining this account along with CCTV footage, witness statements and other available evidence.

CCTV footage being examined

Investigators have preserved CCTV footage from the school and surrounding areas. According to police, the footage shows Vaishnavi sitting in her classroom before she collapsed. It also reportedly captures the sequence in which she briefly recovered before collapsing again.

The footage is being examined to establish the exact timing of the incident and the movement of the immersion procession.

Investigators are also trying to determine when the procession reached the school, how the DJ equipment was being operated and what happened immediately before and after the child collapsed.

Officials said the CCTV footage can help establish the sequence of events, but it cannot by itself determine the medical cause of death.

No post-mortem, cause of death remains unclear

One important aspect of the investigation is that no post-mortem examination was conducted. As a result, there is currently no definite medical finding establishing the cause of Vaishnavi’s death.

Police officials have therefore stressed that they have not concluded that the child died because of the DJ music.

The investigation is instead focused on establishing all the circumstances surrounding her collapse and death, including the sound levels during the procession and whether any rules or official directions were violated.

The seized DJ equipment may also be examined as part of the investigation.

Police action against officials

Apart from the arrests, departmental action has also been taken against police personnel following the incident.

ASP Vishal Pandey said Mewalal outpost in-charge Shailendra Kumar Yadav was suspended for alleged supervisory lapses.

Meanwhile, Kotwali Nagar inspector Santosh Kumar Mishra was served a show-cause notice.

The action was taken on the directions of Balrampur Superintendent of Police Martand Prakash Singh.

Police authorities have not described these actions as findings that either officer was responsible for the girl’s death. The suspension and show-cause notice relate to alleged supervisory lapses and departmental accountability.

Police remind DJ operators about noise limits

Following the incident, police held a meeting with DJ operators in the area and reminded them to comply with prescribed noise standards as well as court and administrative directions.

Operators were reportedly instructed not to use excessively large DJ setups, avoid unnecessary use of heavy bass and ensure that sound systems are not operated beyond permitted hours.

Under the prescribed noise standards mentioned by officials, the permissible limit in residential areas is 55 decibels during the daytime, from 6 am to 10 pm, and 45 decibels at night, from 10 pm to 6 am.

For silence zones, the limits are 50 decibels during the day and 40 decibels at night.

Police have also instructed DJ operators not to operate sound systems after 10 pm.

Calls for tighter regulation

The death of the young student has sparked concerns in Balrampur over the use of high-volume sound systems during religious processions, particularly when such processions pass close to schools, hospitals and residential areas.

The incident has led to demands for stricter enforcement of existing noise regulations and closer monitoring of DJ systems during public events.

For Vaishnavi’s family and the school community, the incident has raised painful questions about what happened inside the classroom that morning. Police are continuing to examine the available evidence to determine the circumstances surrounding her sudden collapse and death.

At present, the arrests relate to allegations concerning the operation of the DJ system and possible violations of official directions. The police investigation has not established that the DJ sound caused Vaishnavi’s death, and the exact medical cause remains unclear. Further findings will depend on the evidence collected during the investigation.

News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.