Overview
- Vishal Verma, 20, a second-year cadet at Tolani Maritime Institute, was fatally injured when a basketball hoop frame collapsed as he did pull-ups Sunday morning on the Induri campus.
- Police in Talegaon MIDC registered an accidental death report and opened an inquiry, and an FIR is pending as officers record statements with no CCTV from the court.
- Senior cadets say they warned staff about shaky basketball poles about 22 days earlier, while the principal denies any complaint and points to routine maintenance and a 30-year structural audit cycle.
- Students and a family member allege a slow medical response, though the principal says the incident occurred around 7:40 am and the cadet reached the hospital by 8:10 am.
- The case has sharpened calls for systematic safety audits of sports equipment at Indian campuses following two fatal pole failures reported in Haryana in late 2025.