Telangana bus accident: Conductor side passengers survived, driver side killed, recalls survivor
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Hyderabad (PTI): Most passengers seated behind the bus driver were killed, while those behind the conductor survived the deadly accident in Telangana that claimed 19 lives, one of the survivors said on Monday.
Recalling the horrific incident, the survivor said he was dozing in the bus when a loud thud jolted him awake, leaving him half-buried in gravel.
“Several people were buried under the gravel. The tipper lorry came from the opposite direction. I was seated on the left side of the bus. We managed to climb out, but those who were sitting behind the driver couldn’t make it, some of them died. I was seated three rows behind the conductor,” he told the media.
He further said he opened a window and escaped, with six others following. Later, another person broke the window panes to free more passengers.
The accident erased entire generations and shattered many families.
According to Sheikh Amer, his friend’s wife Saleha Begum (19), her father Sheikh Khalid Hussain (50) and her 41-day-old baby girl, Zahera Fathima, all perished.
The family was returning to Hyderabad to celebrate the baby's birth after showing the newborn to relatives in Tandur.
“Saleha was returning to the city after showing her newborn to relatives in Tandur. None of us imagined that joy would turn to grief so suddenly,” Sheikh Amer told PTI videos.
Saleha’s husband, Waheed Hussain, who drives a truck for a living, was away on duty when the tragedy struck.
Khalid Hussain was the sole breadwinner of the family, he said and urged the government to lend a helping hand to the bereaved family.
Similarly, tragedy struck a family of Tandur town in Ranga Reddy district in Telangana as it lost three daughters in the accident.
Nandini, Saipriya and Tanusha were killed in the accident, leaving the family distraught.
The trio were studying in college in Hyderabad.
Ambika, mother of the girls, wept inconsolably at the government hospital at Chevella, where the bodies were taken following the accident.
“These three daughters are going to Hyderabad. They are studying there.they wanted to yesterday itself. but they did not go. They should have gone yesterday itself,” Ambika, mother of children- one son and four daughters told PTI Videos.
A teenage survivor, Ashok, who suffered minor injuries, recounted the horrifying scene of his father's death.
Ashok and his father, Hanumantha (45), boarded the bus at Kodangal to travel to a hospital in Hyderabad for his ear problem.
"My father was sitting next to me. After the tipper hit the bus. Several people fell on my father and also huge quantities of gravel."
Ashok was later saved after some people broke open the window.
A doctor at the government hospital in Chevella said the accident victims suffered fractures, facial, abdominal and leg injuries.
The injured persons were undergoing treatment, including administration of IV fluid, TT injections and referred to major state-run hospitals in Hyderabad.
According to TV visuals, half the bus was filled with gravel, trapping passengers inside.
The authorities deployed heavy earth-moving equipment to clear the wreckage of the ill-fated bus.
Chevella Inspector Sridhar sustained minor injuries during a rescue operation after an excavator ran over his leg, a police official said.
A senior official of the Transport Department said the tipper has the capacity to carry 35 tons of material. However, they are verifying if it was overloaded.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
