HRC seeks report on Chevella bus mishap

Hyderabad: In a swift response to the fatal road accident at Mirjaguda village near Chevella on the Hyderabad-Bijapur Highway (NH-163) that claimed 19 lives on Monday, the Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance and asked for comprehensive action-taken reports from various government departments. 

The tragedy raised serious questions about repeated road safety lapses and alleged state negligence.

Observing the incident as part of a disturbing pattern, the TGHRC, headed by Dr Justice Shameem Akther, registered the matter as HRC No 7141/2025 and asked for detailed factual and action reports from the Transport, Home, Mines & Geology Departments, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Ranga Reddy District Collector, and the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGRTC). The departments are to submit their reports by December 15, 2025.

The Commission condemned the repeated accidents on this stretch, signaling serious lapses in enforcement, infrastructure, and road safety mechanisms. It emphasized that such negligence amounts to a violation of the Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Article 21 explicitly guarantees the protection of life and personal liberty. The Supreme Court of India has expanded the interpretation to include the right to safe and well-maintained roads as an essential facet of this fundamental right.

Courts have held that the state must ensure safe mobility as part of its constitutional duties, linking road safety directly to the dignified right to life itself. Failure by the authorities to maintain roads and enforce safety norms infringes upon citizens’ constitutional rights.

Meanwhile, as investigations continue, families mourn their loss while demanding justice under constitutional protections that mandate the state’s responsibility to safeguard its citizens’ lives not only against crime but also against preventable tragedies arising from systemic failures.