Mumbai electrocution: 2 dead, 4 hurt near Lalbaug Ganesh pandal; stall operator booked
Synopsis
Two lives were lost — including that of an 8-year-old girl — when a loose wire at a temporary stall near Mumbai's Lalbaug Ganesh pandal electrocuted a group of devotees at 2 am on 20 September. Four others remain hospitalised, three in the ICU, as police pursue a negligence case against the stall operator.
Key Takeaways
Raghni Ghanshyam Yadav, 8 , and Sujata Thorati, 33 , died following electrocution near a Ganesh pandal in Lalbaug, Mumbai , on 20 September 2026 .
The incident occurred at around 2 am at a Pepsi-Cola stall near Aastha Hospital on Dattaram Lad Marg, Kalachowki .
Four injured — Kiran Akbar Naik , Tanvi Narsh Hande , Sahil Sandip Tare , and Ruhi Singh, 12 — remain in treatment, three in the ICU at Masina Hospital .
Stall operator Kamal Shetty has been booked under Sections 106(1) and 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged negligence.
An FIR has been registered at Kalachowki Police Station and investigation is under way.
Two people, including an 8-year-old girl, died and four others were seriously injured after coming into contact with a loose electrical wire at a Pepsi-Cola stall near a Ganesh festival pandal in Mumbai's Lalbaug area in the early hours of Sunday, 20 September 2026. The incident, which occurred around 2 am near Aastha Hospital on Dattaram Lad Marg in Kalachowki, has prompted police to file an FIR against a nearby stall operator.
What Happened
According to fire brigade records, the loose wire allegedly came into contact with devotees who were present in the vicinity of the pandal in the late-night hours. Two boys and three girls, aged between 8 and 20, reportedly sustained electric shock and burn injuries. All five victims were rushed to Masina Hospital in Byculla for emergency treatment.
The youngest victim, Raghni Ghanshyam Yadav, 8, was declared dead upon arrival at Masina Hospital. A second victim, Sujata Thorati, 33, who was shifted to Global Hospital in Parel due to critical injuries, later succumbed. The identity of Thorati was confirmed in the FIR filed at Kalachowki Police Station.
Condition of the Injured
Four individuals remain under treatment following the incident. Kiran Akbar Naik, 19, Tanvi Narsh Hande, 19, Sahil Sandip Tare, 19, and Ruhi Singh, 12, were among those injured. Three of the four are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Masina Hospital and their condition is described as serious. One girl, reported to be in critical condition, was shifted to Global Hospital in Parel for further care.
FIR and Legal Action
Police have registered an FIR against nearby stall operator Kamal Shetty under Sections 106(1) and 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertain to negligence causing death and acts endangering the lives of others. An investigation is currently under way. The charges signal that authorities are treating the incident as a case of criminal negligence rather than a pure accident.
Context and Safety Concerns
The tragedy unfolded during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, one of Mumbai's largest public celebrations, when large crowds gather around pandals through the night. Temporary stalls and makeshift electrical connections proliferate in festival zones, and this is not the first time such infrastructure has come under scrutiny. Critics and civic safety advocates argue that electrical inspections at temporary stalls during major festivals remain inadequate, a concern that authorities have periodically acknowledged but have struggled to enforce comprehensively. This incident is likely to renew calls for mandatory pre-festival electrical safety audits at all licensed and unlicensed stalls near pandals.
As investigations continue, the families of the deceased and the injured await both justice and answers on how a loose wire near a public stall could claim two lives during one of the city's most celebrated occasions.
Point of View
With makeshift wiring rarely subject to rigorous pre-event inspection. The FIR names one operator, but accountability cannot stop there: the civic bodies that license these stalls and the festival committees that anchor nearby footfall share a duty of care that this tragedy exposes as unmet. Unless systematic pre-festival electrical audits become mandatory and enforceable — not just advisory — the next Ganesh Chaturthi will carry the same risk.
NationPress
20 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened near the Lalbaug Ganesh pandal in Mumbai on 20 September?
Two people died and four others were seriously injured after a loose wire at a temporary Pepsi-Cola stall near a Ganesh festival pandal in Kalachowki, Mumbai, electrocuted a group of devotees at around 2 am on 20 September 2026. The victims ranged in age from 8 to 33 years.
Who died in the Mumbai Lalbaug electrocution incident?
An 8-year-old girl, Raghni Ghanshyam Yadav, was declared dead upon arrival at Masina Hospital in Byculla. A second victim, 33-year-old Sujata Thorati, succumbed to her injuries at Global Hospital in Parel.
Who has been arrested or booked in connection with the electrocution?
Stall operator Kamal Shetty has been booked under Sections 106(1) and 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged negligence. An FIR has been registered at Kalachowki Police Station and an investigation is ongoing.
What is the condition of the other injured victims?
Four people — Kiran Akbar Naik (19), Tanvi Narsh Hande (19), Sahil Sandip Tare (19), and Ruhi Singh (12) — are under treatment. Three are admitted to the ICU at Masina Hospital in serious condition, while one girl in critical condition was shifted to Global Hospital in Parel.
Why are electrocution incidents common near festival pandals in Mumbai?
Temporary stalls near festival pandals often use makeshift or poorly maintained electrical connections, and mandatory pre-festival safety inspections are not consistently enforced. Safety advocates have long called for stricter electrical audits at licensed and unlicensed stalls during large public events like Ganesh Chaturthi.
