HC Rejects Plea against Adani Power Contract, Imposes Rs 50,000 Cost on Petitioner

18 Dec 2024

The Bombay High Court on Monday rejected a petition that challenged the contract awarded by the Maharashtra government to the Adani Group for supplying renewable and thermal power. The court described the petition as "unsubstantiated and reckless." A division bench, consisting of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, also imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 on the petitioner, Shriraj Nageshwar Aepurwar, for filing a vague petition.

Shriraj claimed that the contract granted to the Adani Group for supplying 6,600 MW of renewable and thermal power infringed upon the petitioner's fundamental right to access fair electricity at a reasonable rate.

The petition also alleges that Eknath Shinde, the former chief minister and current deputy chief minister of the state, was involved in corrupt practices related to awarding contracts to the Adani Group.

The bench, however, rejected the arguments and stated, "In our opinion, the filing of such petitions containing unsubstantiated and reckless averments runs the risk of sometimes even good causes being lost."