Drunk Driver Crashes Car On Coastal Road: Charged Rs 2.65 Lakh To Fix Road Damage
Nearly a month after crashing through the guardrails of Mumbai's Coastal Road and plunging into the Arabian Sea, Frashogar Darayush Battiwala has received a bill for Rs 2.65 lakh from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The 29-year-old Tardeo resident, who was driving drunk at the time, must now pay for the damage caused to public infrastructure during the accident on the night of 7 October 2025.
The incident occurred around 10:50 pm as Battiwala was driving his Maruti Suzuki Ertiga from Haji Ali towards Worli. When he reached the section opposite Naman Xana building near Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk, he was allegedly speeding and lost control whilst negotiating a curve. The vehicle swerved, jumped over the three-foot-high retaining wall, smashed through the metal guardrails, and plunged into the sea from a height of approximately 30 feet.
The car fell into relatively shallow water about 15 feet from the Worli promenade. Despite the violent impact, Battiwala survived with minor injuries. His rescue was swift, thanks to alert Maharashtra Security Force personnel stationed at the location. MSF jawans Pandurang Kale and Vikas Rathod, along with constable Dhonde from Byculla police station, immediately jumped into the water. The trained swimmers pulled Battiwala from the sinking vehicle and rushed him to hospital for treatment.
The car itself was retrieved the following day, on 8 October, using magnetic lifting equipment. Local fishermen assisted police in the recovery operation, pulling the submerged Ertiga from approximately 15 feet below the water surface. The vehicle had sustained significant damage from the impact and subsequent submersion in seawater.
Traffic police registered a case against Battiwala under sections 281 (rash driving), 125 (rash and negligent act), 324(3) (committing mischief causing loss or damage to property), and 324(4) (mischief causing damage) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He was also charged under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act for driving under the influence of alcohol. A breathalyser test conducted at the scene confirmed Battiwala was drunk, and blood samples were taken for further analysis.
The BMC issued its compensation notice on 30 October, nearly three weeks after the incident. The delay occurred because the civic body needed to assess costs through an internal audit process. The railing had been repaired immediately after the accident, as the Coastal Road is a high-speed corridor that cannot be left with damaged safety barriers for an extended period. However, issuing the compensation demand required settling bills for the actual repair work.
The notice states clearly that the damage to public property resulted from negligent driving. It directs Battiwala to deposit Rs 2.65 lakh in the BMC treasury at the earliest and forward the payment receipt to the concerned office for case closure. The amount covers only the cost of replacing and repairing the damaged guardrails, not additional expenses like repainting that was also required following the accident.
Mantayya Swamy, Chief Engineer of the Coastal Road Project, confirmed the compensation claim. A civic official explained that whilst seven to eight minor incidents involving vehicles striking guardrails had occurred on the Coastal Road, the damage in those cases was minimal. The Battiwala incident caused significant damage, prompting BMC to seek compensation as a deterrent for other drivers.
If Battiwala fails to pay within a month, BMC will send a reminder. Should he continue to ignore the demand, the case will be forwarded to the assessment department. The penalty amount would then be added to his property tax bill and recovered through that mechanism. This approach ensures the civic body can recoup costs for damage to public infrastructure regardless of whether the offender pays voluntarily.
The incident highlights the ongoing problem of speeding and reckless driving on the Mumbai Coastal Road. The road has a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour inside tunnels and 80 kilometres per hour on other sections. However, motorists frequently violate these limits. CCTV cameras operational since July 2025 had recorded over 8,000 speed violations by September, with vehicles caught travelling at 141 to 147 kilometres per hour inside tunnels.
Most violations occur late at night when traffic is light, according to civic officials. Drivers take advantage of the empty road to speed, often combined with stunts and reckless manoeuvres. The Coastal Road became accessible 24 hours a day from 15 August 2025, having previously been open only between 7 am and midnight since its inauguration in March 2024.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other officials have repeatedly urged citizens to drive carefully on the Coastal Road. The infrastructure was built at significant public expense to ease traffic congestion, not to serve as a racing circuit. Several accidents caused by overspeeding and stunt driving have been reported since the road opened, though the Battiwala incident stands out for its dramatic nature.
The Rs 2.65 lakh fine represents a substantial financial penalty on top of the criminal charges Battiwala faces. It also serves as a warning to other motorists that damaging public infrastructure through negligent or reckless driving will result in significant costs. Whether this approach proves an effective deterrent remains to be seen, but BMC officials are clear that they intend to recover costs from offenders who damage the Coastal Road through irresponsible behaviour.