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Bombay High Court Tightens Oversight on Pothole Deaths, Orders Reports and Compensation Action

The bench told Maharashtra authorities that unsafe roads will result in court-ordered payouts.

Overview

  • Thane Municipal Corporation said it will place all 18 alleged pothole-related deaths in Thane before the state-appointed compensation committee.
  • The court directed Thane, Bhiwandi and the BMC to file inquiry reports by January 7, 2026, with other authorities due by January 22, 2026.
  • BMC argued a reported Mumbai fatality involved a collision with a dumper rather than a pothole, pledged to file an affidavit, and was told to fix a broken Mulund manhole within 48 hours.
  • Intervenor submissions highlighted a two-year-old injured in an open stormwater chamber in Thane and a November 23 Palghar death after a scooty hit a large pothole.
  • The hearing, tied to a 2013 suo motu PIL, recorded that compensation committees have been constituted across jurisdictions and pressed agencies to submit inquiry findings to those panels.