Nanavati nostalgia

The Hindi film Rustom is based on the famous Cdr Kawas Nanavati (pictured) episode of the 1960s. I have seen the trailer and must admit that the actor has done full justice to Nanavati’s personality. Whether or not he wears his shoulder stripes the other way around is another matter. In reality any officer wearing his stripes the wrong way around would have to sign for scores of bottles of beer as per the naval tradition. The beer would then be consumed by all members of the Wardroom (Officers Mess) during weekly or monthly get-togethers, depending on the number of "chits” collected.
I was a cadet at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Poona when the Nanavati-Ahuja incident occurred. It was a much discussed and debated subject amongst the cadets. Most, if not all, were of the opinion that he had done "the right thing.” In those days the information available was very sketchy. We only had the print media and Russi Karanjia’s Blitz, which gave this episode the maximum coverage. The weekly was taboo in the defence services, though we never knew why.
It was during one such after dinner discussion in the squadron ante-room that I decided to go to Bombay to personally witness the court proceedings. I was a senior cadet and confided in a couple of my colleagues, requesting them to cover up for me on the following day at all the sessions on the field and academic classes, including the various musters.
I sneaked out from my cabin in the early hours of the morning under cover of darkness and found my way out of the Academy on foot, avoiding all the sentry posts. I managed to get to the railway station by hitching a lift part of the way on a motorcycle. The only possible give-away was my NDA haircut, so I wore a Parsi topi and made sure my sudreh was visible. Catching the first available train to Bombay, I went straight to the court premises. There was a large crowd outside awaiting the arrival of the accused. Soon I heard the oohs and aahs from the gathering as Nanavati, resplendent in his naval uniform (one of the reasons why I joined the Navy) stepped out of the naval jeep from INS (Indian Naval Ship) Kunjali. Incidentally, during the course of the trial he had been confined to the barracks in INS Kunjali at Colaba, an establishment I commanded 35 years later.
The courtroom was jam-packed, mostly with young college students from the area, with Nanavati in the dock at one end. He was ably defended by his smart, light-haired, pipe-wielding lawyer, Karl Khandalavala. In retrospect, nearly six decades later, I can state that I also had the privilege of seeing the then young, articulate lawyer Ram Jethmalani who partly assisted the prosecutor. There was a great clamor in the courtroom and I found it very difficult to follow the proceedings. The judge kept banging his gavel asking for silence and quite frequently advising and occasionally admonishing the jury.
It was a great experience, but time was running out and I made my way back to the station to return to Poona.
The next day, to my pleasant surprise, not a word was said about my unauthorized absence which speaks volumes about desire, determination, stealth and comradeship. Cmde MEDIOMA BHADA (retd)
mrbhada@gmail.com