A routine Friday evening turned tragic at the District Badminton Academy located on the premises of Sapre School, when a young man collapsed moments after playing a match and was later declared dead at Mekahara Hospital. The incident has raised concern and speculation as police confirmed the man’s identity and began an investigation into the circumstances of his sudden death. Initial reports from Kotwali Police suggest that the youth, later identified as Himanshu Srivastava, a resident of Sector-4, Bhilai, had recently shifted to Khushi Enclave, Amlihdih, Raipur, where he lived with his wife. Employed as a manager with a private firm in Shankar Nagar, Himanshu had visited the badminton academy for the first time on Friday evening.

 

Eyewitnesses at the academy told police that the man arrived alone, requested other players to allow him to join a game, and proceeded to play a few rounds. Following the match, he reportedly sat beside the court to catch his breath, when he suddenly collapsed on the ground. Fellow players rushed him to Dr B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Hospital (BRAMH), where attending doctors pronounced him brought dead. His mobile phone was found switched off, which initially delayed identification until local police retrieved CCTV footage from the premises and contacted the man’s family. Senior officers from the Kotwali Police Station confirmed that a case of unnatural death (marg) has been registered under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Police have not ruled out any medical or suspicious angle and stated that a post-mortem examination will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death. Further probe is underway and all aspects, including medical history, phone records, and CCTV footage, are being scrutinised to determine whether foul play or a medical emergency was involved.