The Bombay High Court division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Bharti Dangre, dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL)seeking an investigation into bank guarantees provided by Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) for the Rs 16 Crore Borivali- Thane Twin Tube Tunnel project. The PIL filed by senior journalist, Ravi Prakash, questioned the legitimacy of the bank guarantees issued by MEIL in favour of MMRDA for the instant project.

The plea sought an investigation by the Crime Branch Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) alleging that fraud bank guarantees had been used. However, MEIL refuted the allegations, stating they were baseless and founded on false information.

The petitioner argued that the PIL aimed to ensure transparency in the tunnel project by raising legitimate concerns regarding the fairness of the tendering process. The petitioner highlighted that MEIL had accrued undue advantage, particularly concerning the bank guarantees and the company’s financial connections including its purchase of electoral bonds from various political parties. And hence this is a matter of significant public concern warranting scrutiny he asserted.

Conversely, the Senior Advocate opposing the PIL contended that the journalist’s allegations stemmed from personal grievances rather than genuine public interest. It was further argued that the petition was motivated more by personal grievances rather than genuine public interest.

Holding the brief for the Union Government, the Solicitor General, who also backed MEIL maintained that the PIL was an abuse of the mechanism and could set a harmful precedent if entertained.

After considering the arguments, the court dismissed the PIL, stressing the importance of preserving the integrity of the PIL system while cautioning against its misuse for personal motives.

Case title: V. Ravi Prakash President, RTV Vs. Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority & Ors. PIL (L) NO.32968 OF 2024

Advocate for Petitioner:- Adv.Prashant Bhushan

Advocate for Respondent:- Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Darius Khambata appearing for MEIL, the Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta and the Advocate General of Maharashtra Birendra Saraf.