Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Wednesday expressed his helplessness when former Union minister Subramanian Swamy urged the court not to invite the wrath of Lord Rama by permitting the UPA government to go ahead with the construction of the Sethusamudram canal by demolishing the Ram Sethu.

Swamy narrated five “strange coincidences” relating to the dredging of Ram Sethu to the bench comprising the Chief Justice, Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal.

A Dutch dredging machine, pressed into service to breach the Ram Sethu, broke down, he said.

Next when a crane was pressed into service to retrieve the broken arms of the dredging machine from the sea, that too broke down.

Retrieving operation

The authorities tried to conduct the retrieving operation by pressing into service another crane with Hanuman written over it, “but that too did not work”.

The Ministry of Shipping authorities then summoned a Russian expert for the dredging operation and he ended up in breaking his leg.

To the amusement of the bench, Mr Swamy said: “Subsequently a havan (worship) was organized. A local Tamil Nadu legislator, who performed the worship, died of heart attack during the night.”

Overawed and perplexed, the Chief Justice asked “What do you expect from us?” Swamy in one line said, “Stop the demolition of the Ram Sethu.”