Good luck ritual backfires as new SUV crashes out of showroom

 

By Sumesh Rajan | September 10, 2025

New Delhi, INDIA: A brand-new Mahindra Thar worth nearly ₹27 lakh crashed out of a showroom in east Delhi’s Preet Vihar on Monday September 8 evening after its new owner accidentally pressed the accelerator during a traditional ritual, police said.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. at the Mahindra showroom in Nirman Vihar, where 29-year-old Maani Pawar and her husband Pradeep, residents of Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, had arrived to take delivery of their SUV.

As part of the customary “good luck” ritual, a lemon was placed under the wheel of the vehicle parked on the showroom’s first floor. Maani, who was behind the wheel, was expected to move the car forward slowly to crush the lemon. Instead, she mistakenly pressed the accelerator, causing the Thar to surge ahead, smash through the showroom’s glass facade, and plunge onto the road below.

At the time of the accident, Pawar, her husband, and a showroom salesman, identified as Vikas, were inside the SUV. The airbags deployed immediately, minimizing the impact of the crash.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Abhishek Dhania confirmed that Pawar sustained minor injuries and was taken to Malik Hospital in Nirman Vihar. She received treatment and was later discharged. No other serious injuries were reported.

“No complaint has been filed by either the family or the showroom management,” Dhania said.

A video of the accident, widely circulated on social media, shows the overturned Thar lying on the road with shattered glass around it, while the empty frame of the first-floor wall remained gaping at the showroom.