The family of Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist visiting from India, is seeking $105 million from New York City and Con Edison following his death in a Central Park horse-drawn carriage accident on June 17. The family alleges that stray electrical voltage in the area may have caused the horse, Sampson, to panic and bolt.
According to a notice of claim filed by the family's counsel, Sagar Chadha of Liakas Law, the unsecured carriage horse began running uncontrollably near Cherry Hill while the driver was stopped to take a photograph of the family. Romanch Mahajan sustained fatal head injuries during the incident. His mother fell from the carriage, and Romanch jumped in an attempt to help her, subsequently hitting his head on the pavement.
"This was an avoidable accident," Chadha stated. "The allegations set forth in the Notice of Claim describe a preventable tragedy that followed years of warnings, prior incidents and failures to implement basic safeguards."
The family's claim specifically points to "stray voltage and/or contact voltage" as a potential factor that "caused, precipitated, contributed to and/or was a substantial factor" in spooking the horse. Con Edison acknowledged in filings that low levels of stray voltage were detected in the area on July 16 and July 23, weeks after the fatal incident.
This tragedy occurred just over two weeks after a proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages in Central Park failed to pass the City Council's Health Committee in November 2025. That bill would have prohibited such operations starting June 1, 2026.
Deepak Mahajan, Romanch's father, stated in a video statement played at a New York City Council hearing, "If the city had passed the law last year, our son would still be alive today." He added, "The only measure that can prevent another death is a full and complete act."
Council Member Christopher Marte introduced a new version of the ban on June 11, six days before Mahajan's death, which would phase out horse-drawn cabs by June 1, 2028. This bill is now being renamed "Romanch’s Law" and has the support of New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin. Menin stated, "His death was heartbreaking, and it was preventable. That tragedy is why I have decided to support Romanch’s Law, legislation that would begin the transition away from horse-drawn carriages as a tourist attraction in Central Park—for the safety of New Yorkers, visitors from around the world, and the horses themselves."
The notices of claim name New York City, Con Edison, and several city agencies, including the departments of Parks and Recreation, Transportation, Health and Mental Hygiene, and Consumer and Worker Protection. The family intends to seek accountability for the incident and to ensure changes are made to prevent future tragedies.
