HC rejects Godrej & Boyce petition in bullet train case

The Bombay high court on Thursday rejected Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd's plea challenging the Maharashtra government's acquisition of its Vikhroli land for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, ruling that national importance took precedence over private interests.

- Priyanka Gawande

"The private interest claimed by the petitioner does not prevail over the public interest which would subserve infrastructural project of public importance which is a dream project of this country and first of its kind," a bench led by Justice R.D. Dhanuka and Justice M.M. Sathaye said, adding that the company's petition is devoid of merit.

On Thursday, Navroz Seervai, senior counsel for Godrej and Boyce, sought an order against the respondents for not taking possession of the said land for a period of two weeks so that it could appeal in the top court. The court, however, refused the senior counsel's application to stay the order.

Godrej and Boyce petitioned against the state government's offer of ₹264 crore as compensation passed on 15 September for acquiring 508.2km of its Vikhroli land. The company argued that the final award of ₹264 crore was way less than the ₹572 crore, the initial amount offered by the state government for the land acquisition.

Godrej and Boyce had earlier stated that the acquisition was unlawful, while claiming that it had "multiple and patent illegalities" in the same.