Image is for representational purposes only. File | Photo credit: ANI
The Supreme Court on Monday (Dec 15, 2025) drew the attention of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to the fact that the dark winter months, lack of street lights on long stretches and vehicles parked haphazardly along the tarmac lead to tragedy and loss of life, as in the recent horrific accidents involving children on highways in Telangana and Rajasthan that claimed almost all lives.
A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi did not seem satisfied with the affidavit filed by the NHAI in response to the court’s questions on why Indian roads continue to be such killers. Justice Maheshwari said that the affidavit incriminated the local and police administration while the court did not want to treat the suo motu case as adverse litigation but only wanted a solution to the problem.
“NHAI is just throwing mud at the police and local authorities. We want to know about NHAI’s powers and the appropriate action it can take if the administration does nothing,” the Bench said.
Advocate General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Center and NHAI, assured the Court that he would study the legal system and reply to the Court. The bench said the highways are dotted with illegal dhabas, forcing drivers to park carelessly on the sides of the highways. “It gets worse during winter,” Justice Bishnoi said, referring to poor visibility on the roads.
The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the tragic highway accident in Rajasthan’s Phalodi that killed 15 people when a speeding passenger rammed into a truck parked in front of a restaurant on the Bharatmala highway on November 2, 2025. The pace was carried by the women and children of Jodhpur who made the pilgrimage to Bikaner.
The very next day, 19 people, including a three-month-old baby girl, were killed when a truck collided head-on with a bus while avoiding a pothole on NH 163 (Hyderabad-Bijapur) on November 3.
Published – 15 Dec 2025 21:13 IST
