Road hump caused youth's death. BBMP's paying for it

It is exactly 10 years since an unscientific speed-breaker in BTM Layout killed Suryaprakash (22). His father Guru M Chavan's long and hard legal battle is now showing results. A Metrolife special

Suryaprakash was just 22 when a road accident claimed his life. The accident was caused by a random, unscientific speed-breaker.

February 24, 2008 is a day his father Guru M Chavan remembers vividly. "My son was returning from work when his bike hit an unmarked hump in BTM Layout. He skidded and fell and injured his head," he recalls.

The hospital said the death was due to brain shock. When Chavan went to the Madivala police station, the inspector casually told him, "It is routine, sir. The roads are like that."

That pushed the bereaved father into deeper despair. "How is my son losing his life routine?" he asks.

Chavan then consulted Anil Kumar, a friend working on a project about unscientific road humps.

Anil told Chavan to take a picture of the hump. "After that we filed an RTI application seeking information about it," says Chavan.

The hump was, in fact, not in conformity with the rules, he gathered.

As he got busy trying to pin responsibility, the BBMP rebuilt slyly rebuilt the hump and produced different photographs.

“Around that time, I filed a case in the State Consumer Forum, which ordered a compensation of Rs 12.7 lakh. However, according to the Motor Vehicles Act, the fair compensation in such cases is Rs 99 lakh. I have not received any money so far.” he says.

Chavan had approached the Human Rights Commission before he filed an RTI application. "The judge took two years to say the BBMP must modify the unscientific humps," he says.

The years were rolling by.

An acquaintance called Subramanium then advised Chavan and Anil to approach the State Consumer Forum. That's how they filed a case in 2013.

"It took us seven years to get the information that an unscientific hump was the cause of the tragedy," Chavan says.

Without being sure, the petitioners were in no position to hold anyone accountable.

"We finally got it in writing from the police department that it was the BBMP's mistake," Chavan
says.

He has now approached the National Consumer Forum and filed a case. "I want to claim the entire compensation. The next hearing is on February 28," he says.

A doughty fighter's story

Guru M Chavan retired as a teacher from Kendriya Vidyalaya. "My son was just 22 when a road hump claimed his life. We lost him too early," he says. Chavan wants to start an NGO to campaign against unscientific and unmarked road humps.

"No other family should go through the pain we went through," he told Metrolife. The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Committee has ordered this compensation. The case is now before its national counterpart, and a hearing is coming up on February 28.