Mimi Chakraborty and Father of Son Who Died from Horse-Carriage Fall Call On West Bengal Minister to Replace Animals With Electric Vehicles
Following the recent death of a frail, severely dehydrated horse who collapsed on a Kolkata road and after New York City approved Romanch’s Law, which would phase out horse-drawn carriage rides there after 160 years—former Member of Parliament and actor Mimi Chakraborty and grieving father Deepak Mahajan have separately appealed to West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul to expedite the government’s reported pilot project for heritage-style electric carriages and use it to permanently replace horse-drawn tourist rides. 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan’s death after a runaway horse-carriage incident in New York City spurred the passage of Romanch’s Law.
In her letter, Chakraborty, who is a PETA India supporter, writes that she was “deeply shaken” to learn about the recent horse’s suffering and death despite efforts by people nearby to save the animal. She also points to PETA India’s records indicating that since 2024 at least 19 horses in Kolkata have reportedly died or ultimately succumbed to road accidents and other injuries. She also refers to a 2026 case in which police registered an FIR after a horse hitched to a tourist carriage collapsed on the road.
For Mahajan, the issue is deeply personal. His son was riding in a horse-drawn carriage with family members in Central Park in June when the horse got scared and bolted. The teenager jumped from the carriage trying to help his mother and died from his injuries. His death reinvigorated the push to end New York City’s carriage rides, and the legislation was renamed Romanch’s Law in his honor. The New York City Council has now passed the law, which will phase out the city’s horse-drawn carriage industry by 2028.
“For improved cleanliness and to protect public health from zoonotic diseases like glanders—I wholeheartedly support the pilot project that is planned by your good Ministry and a complete and urgent transition from horse-drawn carriages to heritage-style e-carriages in Kolkata. Mumbai has already replaced horse-drawn carriages with elegant, Victorian-style battery-operated e-carriages for horses and human safety creating a win-win solution for former horse carriage owners who opted for this alternative and their sustainable livelihood.” – Mimi Chakraborty, Former MP and actor
“No parent should ever have to endure such a loss. And no family should have to wonder whether a tragedy like ours could have been prevented. Had we understood the danger and exploitation involved, we would never have taken that horse carriage ride. I am now working with PETA India to help protect other families and spare horses the suffering of the carriage trade.” -Deepak Mahajan, Father of Horse-Carriage Accident Victim, Romanch Mahajan.
PETA India and CAPE Foundation have documented horses used for tourist rides in Kolkata who were emaciated, anaemic, injured, or lame, yet continued to be put to work. Horses have also been found collapsed or abandoned, and the groups have helped rescue ailing animals and pursued legal action against the abusers. In May 2024, the Calcutta High Court directed the state government to develop a proposal for rehabilitating horse owners and providing them with alternative livelihoods so that “dispensing with the horse-drawn carriages as done in Mumbai can be considered and examined for its feasibility.
Help Kolkata Transition from Horse-Drawn Carriages to Cruelty-Free Electric Carriages
