03 June,2026 08:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Hemal Ashar
The car dashed against a light pole
Chef Tehmtan Dumasia took a well-known route as he drove his car down Malabar Hill near Kamala Nehru Park towards Kemps Corner on May 18. It was 3.30 pm and Dumasia, who is a Godrej Baug (off Nepean Sea Road) resident, was thrilled, though, as he was driving his MG Hector bought two days ago. He was going towards Fort.
Dumasia's MG Hector, purchased just two days before the accident, sustained damage estimated at '8 lakh. Pics/By Special Arrangement
His car went over a manhole, and Dumasia said, "I heard a loud thud. Suddenly, the car swerved and hit a light pole. It happened very quickly. I suffered a few bruises to my hand, nothing major. Some cops ran over to help me. Apparently, the manhole cover was loose, dislodged and flew up when the car went over it. The cover fell off under the car when I crashed into the light pole."
The loose cover on the road
Dumasia recalled being shaken by the incident. "I did not suffer serious injuries, thankfully. This was a close call though. I actually thank my stars that the car hit the light pole; otherwise it would have crashed against the wall and fallen down to Kemps Corner on the traffic below!"
Chef Tehmtan Dumasia
After counting his blessings that he averted the worst, Dumasia is irked that a loose gutter/manhole cover has damaged his car. "I had bought this very sparingly used car for R17 lakh. The repairs are now at Rs 8 lakh. The insurance was third party and had to still be transferred to my name, so I will have to pay this huge bill. I have written a letter to the BMC about the same." The BMC did not respond to requests for comment/a response.
On May 20, two days post the accident, Tehmtan Dumasia addressed a letter to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide.
The letter first gave the background of the incident. Then, excerpts from the communication stated:
1 The accident occurred due to a loose manhole cover which was loosely fitted on that road. When the traffic personnel from Kemps Corner rushed up to help me, they informed me that this cover has been a problem for motorists since morning and they had informed the D Ward BMC department.
2 When I went over the concerned manhole, little did I realise that the cover would jump up below my car, get lodged in the car and swerve the car away from the road.
3 The accident has set me back by a few lakhs. Kindly help me in this matter. We pay all our taxes on time; even then, we have to suffer because of sheer negligence of your department officers.
4 Post my accident, the Deputy CM's convoy went at full speed over the same route. If a similar mishap had occurred to them, would the BMC not take action on the concerned officials?
5 Kindly ask the Compensation Committee to reimburse my losses from the concerned officials due to their negligence in this case.
