Tragic Death of Circus Performer Sparks Outrage Over Safety Practices

Circus Performer Dies After Being Buried Alive for Three Days

The family of Deepak, a circus artist who tragically suffocated after being buried alive for three days in Nuh district, claims that his death was not an accident but rather a consequence of his mentor's greed. At just 27 years old, Deepak was the sole breadwinner for his family, hailing from the village of Gounchi in Faridabad, where he belonged to a lineage of traditional performers who traveled from village to village.

Deepak had been performing for nearly a decade. Although he had previously showcased the stunt of being buried alive, where he would be sealed in a sack and then buried, he had never remained underground for more than 24 hours. His family alleges that his mentor, Satish, also known as Pulsiya, kept him buried for 72 hours to collect the full amount of ₹7,100.

Sunita, Deepak's sister-in-law, revealed that during performances, audiences were informed that Deepak would only be released once the ₹7,100 target was met. However, this was merely a tactic to encourage more donations. In reality, regardless of the amount collected, Deepak was typically freed after 24 hours.

Sunita stated, 'This time, since the ₹7,100 goal was not achieved within 24 hours, Pulsiya extended the burial duration to 72 hours. When villagers protested after the time elapsed and Deepak was not retrieved, they began to remove the soil from the pit. Unfortunately, by that time, Deepak had already passed away.'

Deepak had never trained to remain buried for 72 hours. Relatives have reported that they have lodged a complaint with the police, demanding action against Pulsiya, who resides in Lakshminagar, Mathura. When contacted, Rajesh Kumar, the officer in charge of the Sadar Tewadu police station, stated that no complaint had been received yet. Kumar added, 'We have handed over the body to the family after the post-mortem.'

Manish, Deepak's elder brother, mentioned that he used to perform the stunts on the street but stopped after getting married. He also noted that Deepak had spent about a year and a half in jail following an arrest but had resumed performing after being released on bail. Manish shared that since his release, Deepak had performed at over ten locations.

Relatives emphasized that Deepak was the family's only support. He would give any money or food he earned from his performances to his mother, Babita. Babita expressed her despair, saying, 'Deepak was my caretaker, and now I am completely helpless after his death.'

During the investigation, it was revealed that before performing the 'Pratyaksh Samadhi' stunt on July 23, Deepak had entertained the crowd with various bicycle stunts. He was then placed in a specially dug pit and covered with soil. When he was finally retrieved three days later, he showed no signs of life. A senior police official confirmed that he was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Akhil Pilani, the district commissioner of Nuh, previously stated that such stunts are illegal and that the administration would investigate how such a dangerous event was conducted without proper authorization.