The love triangle and murder of passion that rocked Bombay of the sixties!
It was one of the most sensational murder cases in the history of independent India.
A senior serving Commander of the Indian Navy shot his friend dead for having an extramarital affair with his exquisitely beautiful wife Sylvia!
The Commander was KM Nanavati, born as Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati in the year 1925.
The handsome and dashing Commander had settled with his British wife Sylvia and three children in Bombay.
He often used to be away from home on duty to the nation for long periods.
Lonely Sylvia, fell in love with Prem Bhagwandas Ahuja, a prominent Sindhi socialite playboy and friend of Kawas Nanavati.
Kawas Nanavati returned home on 18 April 1959, only to find that Sylvia was distant and anxious.
On investigating, the brutal truth came out. Sylvia was having an affair with Prem Ahuja, his friend. Kawas was shattered and furious.
He asked Sylvia whether she would like to marry Prem. She remained silent all through.
Some reports claim that she asked Kawas for a divorce so that she could marry Prem but herself doubted whether Prem would marry her or not. This led Kawas to take the matter into his own hands.
On the fateful day, *27 Apr 1959,* Kawas drove Sylvia and his children to the matinee show of the movie 'Tom Thumb' at the Metro theatre in Bombay. Then he went to the Naval Base in Bombay and picked up his .38 bore Webley Scott service revolver and drove to Prem’s apartment.
Kawas asked Prem whether he would take responsibility for his affair with Sylvia and marry her. Prem mocked him saying that if he married every woman he slept with, he would be a polygamist
Kawas was outraged. He shut the door of Prem's flat and shot him thrice on his chest killing him then and there.
After the act, he went to the deputy commissioner of the police, DCP John Lobo and surrendered himself.
Prem Ahuja’s sister, Mamie Ahuja, filed a case against Kawas for murdering his brother. There were several trials, after which the jury verdict came in favour of Kawas declaring him ‘Not Guilty’ by 8:1 votes.
The sessions judge, Ratilal Bhaichand Mehta, considered the acquittal as perverse and referred the case to the Bombay High Court who found Kawas guilty of homicide amounting to murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The Supreme Court upheld the decision on 11 November 1961. Most importantly, the jury system for trials was subsequently abolished in India.
Commander Nanavati was pardoned after 3 years by the then Governor of Maharashtra, Vijay Lakshmi Pandit on account of ethnic-political considerations.
Kawas immediately migrated to Canada with his family.
The case had then caused a vertical split between the two most influential communities of Bombay... The Parsis and Sindhis.
During the proceedings of the court there used to be demonstrations by thousands on Bombay roads.
The case was so much in the public minds that replica revolvers of Nanavati were sold on Bombay streets as memorabilia.
A tabloid, *‘Blitz’* headed by Russi Karanjia covered the whole case. It played a major role in giving a sympathetic turn to the story, portraying Kawas as a ‘wronged husband’ and Prem as a ‘Playboy.’ At that time the price of Blitz shot up to Rs 2, from its normal rate of 25 paise.
It was also the first case of genius legal luminary Ram Jethmalani who obviously represented the Sindhi side.
Kawas Nanavati died on 24 July 2003 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sylvia is now 90 and presently living a secluded life in Canada with her grandchildren.
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