NHAI sparks outrage with insensitive court comment after a 40-hour Indore-Dewas highway jam left 3 dead. MP High Court demands answers from all responsible parties.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) made a controversial comment during a court hearing on a tragic incident involving a massive 40-hour traffic jam on the Indore-Dewas highway that claimed three lives and left thousands stranded.
The remark —
“Why do people even leave home so early without any work?”
— made by NHAI’s lawyer in open court, has drawn widespread criticism and sparked public anger over the apathy shown by authorities towards the common people’s struggles.
The traffic jam, which began last Friday, stretched over 8 kilometers and affected more than 4,000 vehicles.
The prolonged gridlock led to the unfortunate deaths of three individuals — Kamal Panchal (62) from Indore, who suffered a heart attack after being stuck in the extreme heat for over an hour; Balram Patel (55) from Shujalpur; and Sandeep Patel (32) from Gari Pipalya village.
Reacting to the insensitive courtroom comment, Sumit Patel, nephew of the late Balram Patel, said:
“No one has the time to roam the streets without reason. We were on the road trying to save a life – my uncle’s. If an NHAI official had been stuck like us, they’d understand the trauma.”
The tragedy and chaos prompted Dewas-based advocate Anand Adhikari, who himself got stuck in the same jam while on his way to Indore, to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The Madhya Pradesh High Court took the matter seriously and held a hearing on Monday. The Bench comprised Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Binod Kumar Dwivedi.
During the hearing, the court made several government and private bodies a party to the case, including the NHAI (offices in Delhi and Indore), the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Indore Collector, Indore Police Commissioner, the road construction company, and Indore Dewas Tollways Ltd.
The court reminded the authorities that it had earlier, in September last year, directed the completion of a diversion road within four weeks.
However, despite that order, the road remained incomplete. When questioned, NHAI said that a 10-day strike by crusher units was responsible for the delay.
However, the agency had earlier sought three to four months to complete the work, which raised doubts in the court’s mind about the genuineness of the delay.
Senior Advocate Girish Patwardhan, appearing for the petitioner, told the media:
“The High Court has issued notices to NHAI, the Indore Police Commissioner, and the Indore Collector, directing them to submit their replies within one week. Additionally, the court has ordered that the toll company and the road construction company be made parties to the case. NHAI has been instructed to issue notices to the road contractor and the toll operator.”
He further added:
“The High Court has specifically made NHAI, Indore-Dewas Toll Bridge Company, the construction firm, the Police Commissioner, and the Collector as respondents, asking them to respond within a week.”
The Bench posed a direct question to NHAI regarding the delay:
“In September, it was claimed that the diversion road would be completed in four weeks. Why hasn’t it been done yet?” In response, the NHAI once again cited the crusher unit strike as the main cause of delay.
Commenting on NHAI’s controversial courtroom argument — “Why do people leave their homes without any work?” — Senior Advocate Patwardhan stated:
“This comment was indeed made in court. The Honourable Court responded that such reasoning is unacceptable, as it would mean that ordinary citizens could no longer safely step out of their homes. The court did not take this argument seriously.”
After visiting the affected site, Indore Collector Ashish Singh gave a report that further pointed towards negligence on NHAI’s part.
He observed that the service road constructed by NHAI was too weak to handle heavy vehicles. As a result, the road collapsed under pressure, leading to a complete halt in traffic movement.
The High Court has now scheduled the next hearing on July 7 and asked all parties to submit their written replies by then.
Background Of The Case
The Madhya Pradesh High Court took serious note of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Dewas-based lawyer Anand Adhikari after a massive 50-hour traffic jam paralyzed the Indore-Dewas stretch of the Agra-Mumbai National Highway.
The jam, which began last Thursday evening, left over 4,000 vehicles stranded and led to the tragic deaths of at least three individuals due to medical emergencies triggered while being stuck in traffic.
The court, led by Justices Vivek Rusia and Binod Kumar Dwivedi, issued notices to the Union Government, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Indore police, the local administration, and the private company handling road construction.
Also Read: Supreme Court Stays Madras HC Order Stopping Toll on Madurai-Tuticorin Highway
The High Court also directed that all respondents must file their replies within a week and temporarily ordered the continued diversion of heavy vehicles.
The PIL requests that the ongoing construction work on this critical highway stretch be placed under the direct supervision of the court to ensure timely completion and accountability.
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