Bombay High Court dismisses PIL on MEIL bank guarantee

The Bombay High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an investigation into a bank guarantee for a major tunnel project. The guarantee, worth Rs 1,700 crore, was issued by Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL), which won a bid for the Borivali-Thane twin tunnel project valued at Rs 16,000 crore. During the court hearing, MEIL's lawyers argued that the PIL should be dismissed because it did not meet legal requirements. Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre reviewed the case and agreed to dismiss the petition. They noted that MEIL raised serious preliminary issues regarding the PIL's validity. The petitioner, V Ravi Prakash, faced criticism in court after he posted and later deleted a tweet that some attorneys claimed was meant to discredit the judiciary. Lawyers representing the government and MEIL argued that this tweet showed a lack of respect for the court. Senior Counsel Darius Khambata stressed that the court must ensure that PILs serve genuine public interest and not personal agendas. He urged the court to set specific standards for future PILs to prevent misuse. Prashant Bhushan, representing Prakash, defended the PIL, saying there were no procedural violations. He expressed concerns about the fairness of the bidding process, mentioning alleged large donations linked to electoral bonds. However, MEIL's lawyers countered that their bid was legitimate since they were the highest bidder, and the guarantee was verified by scheduled banks. The court emphasized the need to discourage frivolous litigation, suggesting that more stringent rules may be needed to protect the integrity of the legal system.