4th May, Gurgaon: Over 100 people have lost their lives on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway since it was thrown open to the public in January 2008. Alleging lack of safety measures in place on the expressway, the family of 19-year-old Rahul Anand, who died in an accident on the highway two months ago, is waging a war against the authorities concerned. K S Anand, Rahul’s father, has filed a public interest litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking stringent action against DSC Ltd, the concessionaire that built the expressway, and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

Talking to the media on Sunday, Anand said: “The loss of lives does not stop at numbers. Rahul’s death has shattered my family. It is my mission now to get justice for all those who have been murdered on this stretch due to negligence on part of the authorities.” “NHAI and the DSC Ltd, which built the road on a ‘build, operate and transfer’ basis, should be held accountable for the public money collected by way of toll and the damages suffered by commuters on account of negligence and violation of rules…” reads the PIL.

The petition accuses H S Narula, chairman and managing director of DSC Ltd, and Sachin Sharma, vice-president (operations), of negligence and sought direction to the police to register a case under Section 304-A (causing death due to negligence) against them.

On March 8, Rahul, a student of the Indian Institute of Hotel Management, was on his way home around 3.30 pm when his car collided with a water tanker. He died before he could be administered first aid.

Anand’s lawyer Pankaj Sharma said: “The police have filed a case against the driver of the tanker. He is not solely responsible. It is the non-adherence to norms that have resulted in so many deaths.”

According to the contract signed between DSC Ltd and the NHAI, Sharma said, in case of an accident an ambulance should reach the spot within 10 minutes. “In Rahul’s case, there had been no help for a good 30 minutes. Passersby robbed him of his belongings. Had there been the provision of an ambulance, crucial time could have been saved,” said Sharma, adding that the concessionaire had failed to provide the basic facilities mentioned in the agreement. “The NHAI has not played its role as the regulator,” he added.

According to the agreement, there should be barricades on both sides of the expressway to segregate pedestrians traffic, helpline numbers at regular intervals and CCTV cameras and speed radars in place. All these facilities are missing at present. “We have also written to the NHRC, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Chief Justice of India among others, highlighting the threats on this 27.5-kilometre stretch,” said Sunil Arora, Anand’s friend who is the chairman of Air Cargo Agency Association of India.

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