The victim was identified as 60-year-old Aslam Isak Shaikh. He was reportedly talking on his phone when he accidentally fell into an uncovered manhole in Mumbai’s Chandivali area during heavy rain on Sunday.
Published: July 2, 2026, 4:21 PM IST
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A 60-year-old man was killed after falling into an open manhole in Mumbai during heavy rains. ANI/Screengrab
A 55-year-old man was killed on Thursday after being swept into an open manhole in Mumbai amid heavy rains. Following his death, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar called the incident a serious matter and said it amounted to “culpable homicide”.
The incident occurred in the Chandivali area, where waterlogging apparently concealed the uncovered manhole. The incident was reported at 12.26 pm near Sanman Hotel on Khairani Road, close to SJ Studio in Sakinaka, following an alert received by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) control room.
Fire brigade and civic disaster management teams conducted a search and operation and the man’s body was recovered on Thursday, an official said. The deceased was identified as 60-year-old Aslam Isak Shaikh from Yadav Nagar. He was taken to Rajawadi Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Police officials at the spot said three contractual workers employed by a private agency had removed the manhole cover as part of ongoing maintenance work at the site. During the operation, Shaikh who was allegedly talking on his mobile phone while walking, accidentally stepped into the open manhole and fell inside.
After the man fell into the manhole, the contractual workers quickly lowered a ladder and searched for him, but could not find him. According to officials, only his umbrella and slippers were recovered from the spot. Rescue teams initially struggled to trace the man’s path because of the powerful water current inside the drain.
Maharashtra speaker calls it ‘culpable homicide’
Responding to the matter raised by a member, he asked the state government to place a detailed statement in the House on the incident before the day’s proceedings concluded.
BJP MLA Ameet Satam raised the incident in the assembly and demanded that criminal action be initiated immediately against those responsible.
Satam told the House that the incident occurred on Khairani Road in the area during drainage work being carried out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). He further demanded that an FIR be registered immediately and that the BMC official in charge of the work be suspended. He went on to add that suspension alone would not suffice and sought the registration of a case of culpable homicide against the officials allegedly responsible for the lapse.
Referring to similar incidents in Mumbai, the BJP legislator said open drains and excavated pits left unattended during the monsoon continue to pose a serious threat to public safety. He urged the government not just to order an inquiry but also to take immediate action.
Narwekar termed the manhole death a serious matter and said it amounted to “culpable homicide”. He also asked the government to place a detailed statement in the House on the incident before the day’s proceedings concluded.
Culpable homicide is the unlawful causing of a person’s death through an act committed with the intention of causing death or with the knowledge that the act is likely to cause death. The maximum punishment for culpable homicide is imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of up to 10 years, and a fine.
With inputs from PTI
