'Several Accidents Due To Rash And Negligent Driving, Not Potholes': Thane Municipal Corporation To Bombay HC

Mumbai, Feb 04: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has informed the Bombay High Court that several fatal road accidents reported in Thane were caused due to “rash and negligent driving” and not because of potholes or poor road conditions.

Affidavit filed by city engineer

In an affidavit filed by Prashant Sonagra, City Engineer of TMC, the civic body stated that it has complied with earlier court directions to constitute a committee to decide compensation in cases of deaths and injuries arising from road accidents. The affidavit was filed in response to proceedings initiated after news reports highlighted multiple deaths allegedly linked to potholes in Thane.

Referring to an accident that occurred on July 13, 2025, Sonagra said TMC had already placed details before the court through an affidavit dated September 18, 2025.

“The FIR registered with the Kasarvadavali Police Station clearly indicates that the said accident occurred due to the negligence of the rider of the offending vehicle and not due to potholes on the road,” the affidavit stated.

July 13 hit-and-run case

On July 13, 2025, 21-year-old Ghazal Tuteja was killed in a hit-and-run incident at Nagla Bandar around 10 pm, when an unidentified vehicle rammed into her scooter from behind. She died on the spot.

Compensation committee constituted

Pursuant to the High Court’s October 13, 2025 order, TMC constituted a compensation committee on October 31, 2025, comprising the municipal commissioner and the secretary of the District Legal Services Authority, Thane.

The committee held its first meeting on December 16, 2025, during which the July 13 accident was examined and police and departmental reports were called for to assess compensation liability.

At a subsequent meeting on January 6, the committee reviewed reports from the police and the Public Works Department (PWD), which stated that the road where the accident occurred fell under the PWD’s jurisdiction. The reports concluded that the accident was caused by “rash and negligent driving of the truck driver” and that “the road was in good condition”.

Other accidents under scrutiny

The affidavit also addressed multiple other incidents reported in newspapers, including five deaths reported in 2019 and accidents on Ghodbunder Road. In several cases, the committee noted that “specific information was not available” and sought further details, including photographs and panchnamas, from the police and PWD.

Addressing an incident reported on October 21, 2025, the affidavit said an FIR registered at Kasarvadavali Police Station attributed the accident to negligent driving. “The FIR indicates that the accident occurred due to rash and negligent driving of the truck driver,” it said.

On October 21, 2025, a truck rammed into a motorcycle from behind, severely injuring rider Manoj Thakur and killing pillion rider Swati Kadam. The accident occurred beneath a skywalk near Vijay Garden housing society in Kasarvadavali.

Storm water drain incident

In another case involving a toddler falling into a storm water drain, TMC stated that the child was rescued, treated, and corrective measures were immediately taken by covering the chamber.

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Court proceedings ongoing

On December 2, 2025, the Bombay High Court issued notices to the Maharashtra government, TMC, PWD, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the traffic police on a plea highlighting over 18 deaths in Thane allegedly caused by potholes, based on a report published in The Free Press Journal. The matter is pending further consideration.

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