The father of Romanch Mahajan, an Indian teenager who died in a horse carriage accident in Central Park, New York, on 1 June 2026 while attempting to shield his mother from injury, made an emotional appeal before the New York City Council on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to ban horse-drawn carriages in the city. Deepak Mahajan addressed a Council panel considering a proposed law that would be named after his son.

A Father's Plea Before the Council

'Now we are asking you plainly, ‘Act now,’' Deepak Mahajan told the Council panel. He said that had an earlier version of this legislation — proposed last year — been passed, 'the carriages would have stopped on June 1st, 2026,' and his son would still be alive. Choking back tears, he described the moment his son took his last breath: 'He took his last breath in his mother’s arms, while his 11-year-old brother and I stood watching.'

'We came to New York as a family of four,' he said. 'We are learning hour by hour to cope up with life as we are three now.'

How the Accident Unfolded

The Mahajan family — Deepak, his wife Priya, Romanch, and their younger son — were on a tourist carriage ride through Central Park when the driver stopped and stepped off to photograph them. The horse bolted, throwing Priya Mahajan from the carriage. Romanch leapt out to protect her, struck his head on the ground, and sustained a fatal injury.

Deepak called it a preventable tragedy: 'This was not an unpredictable accident. It was a safety violation, a system’s failure to protect the people who visit our city, your city, and everyone responsible has admitted the driver should never have left that carriage.'

Voices of Support at City Hall

Council Speaker Julie Menin, a supporter of the bill, described Romanch as a hero. 'Romanch died in an act of heroism as he tried to protect his mother. Now, a law named in his honour will protect countless others: residents, tourists, humans, and horses,' she said at the hearing, held by the Council’s Committee on Health.

Outside City Hall, Romanch’s aunt Sovia Thukral addressed supporters: 'I am standing here in support of Romanch’s law, so that his death will not go unremembered, his passing will not be forgotten.' She added, 'Death forces society to change, so that no other family has ever to carry that we carry now. Please remember his name, Romanch Mahajan.'

A 40-Year Battle Over Horse Carriages

Animal rights activists have pushed the New York City Council to ban horse carriages for roughly 40 years, without success. The measure has consistently faced resistance from the powerful trade union representing carriage drivers. This year, however, Romanch’s death has injected fresh momentum into the campaign, with observers noting it has materially increased the bill’s chances of passage. Among the notable supporters is Emmy Award-winning actress Edie Falco.

Who Romanch Was

Romanch Mahajan had just completed his schooling at Angel’s Public School in Mamun, Pathankot, and had secured admission to one of India’s most prestigious universities, according to his father’s testimony before the Council. The family had travelled to New York to celebrate his graduation. 'We brought a son to New York from India to celebrate Romanch finishing school,' Deepak said. 'A young boy came to America full of dreams and left us far too soon.'

As the proposed law bearing his name advances through the Council, the outcome will determine whether his death becomes a turning point in a decades-long civic debate.