SURINDERSINGH ALEG Vs. M G GURUNATHAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The City of Nagpur is bisected by an overhead railway bridge running north-south and the road under the bridge forms a conduit through which old and new Nagpur are joined. To ease the resultant traffic congestion, vehicular traffic coming from eastern Nagpur is not permitted to take the straight road to Sitabuldi, which has been declared a one way catering to the traffic coming from Sitabuldi and proceeding towards the railway station.

(2.) Thanks to the anathema of civic authorities towards shifting of temples howsoever ill-located, a temple situated towards west of the bridge serves as a traffic island. Further north, one comes across Manas Chowk wherein meet three roads, one coming from Sitabuldi, another from Morris College and the third from the railway station. A statue of Netaji Subhashchandra Bose overlooks the Chowk being situated at the intersection of the roads coming from Morris College and the railway station. An old Bhonsala fort on an adjoining hill feature oversees the scene.

(3.) K. Ramakrishna, working as an accountant in the Indian Overseas Bank, was proceeding on his Yezdi motor cycle towards the railway station on June 15, 1978, to catch the Kerala-Karnataka Express which leaves at night. He wanted to attend the marriage of his sister to be performed at Renigunta in Andhra. His friend, K. V. Raghavalu, a junior assistant master in the weaving department of the Empress Mills was on the pillion seat. M. R. Gurunathan, another friend, walking on the road under the railway overbridge spotted the pair and accosted them, upon which Ramakrishna slowed down the motor cycle and brought it to a halt in the Manas Chowk. The trio started chatting about the trip to Renigunta. Suddenly, Gurunathan felt a violent push from behind upon which he raised a cry and was knocked down unconscious. After he recovered consciousness, he found his left leg fractured, right leg injured, left heel smashed and his friends, Ramakrishna and Raghavalu, lying dead on the spot. A crowd had collected but instead of helping them, some tried to rob the victims. Ultimately, good conscience prevailed and one of the onlookers, who was in an intoxicated condition, rendered help to the victims. The motor cycle was smashed by motor Truck No. MHG 3505, belonging to Surendersingh Aleg and driven by Narayansingh Premsingh. Ramakrishna and Raghavalu died at the spot and the sole survivor of the tragedy, Gurunathan, remains to tell the tale.