NMMC suspends engineer after two students suffer electric shocks at Nerul LP Flyover
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) suspended Executive Engineer Pravin Hindurao Gade on July 2, 2026, following an incident where two Class 12 students suffered electric shocks in waterlogged rainwater beneath the Nerul LP Flyover in Navi Mumbai. Municipal Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde ordered the suspension after a preliminary inquiry found Gade prima facie responsible for negligence and dereliction of duty in supervising the electrical infrastructure under his jurisdiction.
The electric shock incident occurred on July 1, 2026, at approximately 1:15 PM. Rainwater had accumulated beneath the Nerul LP Flyover when Shubhangi Balkhande, 17, a resident of Gandhi Nagar in Nerul MIDC, and Ujjwala Wagh, 19, a resident of Shiravane Village, Sector 1, Nerul, were wading through the water. A live electricity supply cable had come into contact with the accumulated water, sending an electric current through the stretch.
The two students were initially taken to D.Y. Patil Hospital in Nerul and later shifted to Fortis Hospital in Vashi for specialised treatment. According to NMMC doctor Rajesh Mhatre, both girls are clinically stable and are being kept in the intensive care unit solely for observation. Dr Mhatre noted that all tests, including CT scans and ECGs, returned normal, and there were no injury, entry, or exit marks on either student. They are expected to remain under observation for another 24 hours.
Mayor Sujata Patil and Municipal Commissioner Shinde visited the injured students at the hospital. Shinde announced that the civic body will bear the entire cost of their medical treatment and has ordered an urgent inquiry to identify the exact source of the live electrical cable that came into contact with the rainwater.
The suspension order against Gade was issued under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979, and the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act. During his suspension, Gade's headquarters will be the NMMC Public Works Department, and he is prohibited from leaving without prior approval or accepting private employment.
