A 55-year-old man died on July 2, 2026, after falling into an open manhole in Mumbai’s Chandivali area during maintenance work. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation suspended four officials following the incident.
Aslam Esaf Shaikh was declared dead at Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar after the accident on Khairani Road near Sanman Hotel. Maintenance was underway at the site when the incident occurred.
BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide suspended four officers, including Assistant Commissioner Dhanaji Harlekar and engineers Deepak Chougule, Abhijit Chougule and Uttam Patil. She also ordered the contractor to be blacklisted for negligence.
A high-level inquiry committee was formed to investigate and submit a report within seven days. BMC directed all ward officers to install barricades around manholes during work and conduct a full inspection of manholes across the city within eight days.
The death marks the third casualty linked to heavy monsoon rains in Mumbai this season, which brought over 200 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours.
