Latest news with #BhushanRamkrishnaGavai
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
SC refuses to stall ₹299 crore jetty project near Gateway of India
MUMBAI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday declined to intervene in the ₹299 crore passenger jetty project near the Gateway of India, observing that the project serves the public interest. Instead, the apex court urged the Bombay High Court to expedite hearings on the pending petitions challenging the development. 'Something good is happening in Mumbai. Now you can reach Versova from South Mumbai in 40 minutes, which used to take three hours,' said Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, citing the Coastal Road as a successful example of contentious yet transformative infrastructure. The bench remarked that opposition to such projects often stemmed from a 'Not In My Backyard (NIMBY)' mindset. 'Everyone opposed the Coastal Road earlier, but now they are happy. This kind of opposition is typical,' the court noted during a hearing on a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Dr Laura D'Souza, president of the Cuffe Parade Residents' Association. The SLP, filed through advocate Anagha S Desai of Desai Legal LLP, challenged the Bombay High Court's May 7 and 8 orders refusing to stay preparatory works on the jetty and terminal. The petition contended that the project would affect over 210,000 residents of the Colaba area and had commenced without adequate public consultation or stakeholder engagement. 'The project was launched without prior public notification or transparency, and poses irreversible damage to one of the city's most historic precincts,' Dr D'Souza argued. Several residents' groups and institutions have raised objections, including the Bombay Presidency Radio Club, business owners, frequent visitors, and elected representatives from both Houses of Parliament. The objectors have called for the jetty to be shifted to Princess Dock—cited in a feasibility report as a less intrusive alternative. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing Dr D'Souza, alleged that the proposed jetty caters largely to private users taking leisure ferries to Alibaug, framing it as a project designed for elite convenience rather than public necessity. Countering the claim, additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati said the jetty is a crucial piece of commuter infrastructure, aimed at easing the city's transport burden and improving connectivity. Dismissing the petition, the court reiterated its view that infrastructure progress often meets resistance from affluent localities. 'Everyone wants a sewage treatment plant, but not behind their house. This is NIMBY syndrome. Colaba is a neighbourhood of elitist people. It's tyanchi (their) Mumbai, not amchi (our) Mumbai,' the bench remarked. Reacting to the verdict, Dr D'Souza said she was disheartened. 'It is distressing to see that the iconic Gateway of India, which is a Grade-I heritage structure (of exceptional historical importance) is being sidelined. We urge the authorities to reconsider the long-term implications and prioritise the preservation of Mumbai's heritage.' She also expressed concern over the 'blatant disregard' for due process. 'The government seems to have bypassed critical steps of public engagement and environmental accountability,' she added. The matter now returns to the Bombay High Court, which has been asked to deliver a verdict on the petitions without further delay.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
President Murmu hosts dinner for newly sworn-in Chief Justice of India
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday hosted a dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre to welcome the newly sworn-in Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai . Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of State for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, former CJI Justice Sanjiv Khanna and other dignitaries, including Supreme Court judges and Chief Justices of the High Courts also attended the dinner, the President's office said in a post on X. Justice Gavai, who has been part of several benches that delivered landmark rulings, including the one upholding the Centre's decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 that bestowed special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on May 14.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Something Good Is...": Supreme Court Refuses To Stay Work For Jetty In Mumbai
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stay the construction work for a passenger jetty and terminal facilities near the Gateway of India in Mumbai, saying that "something good is happening in the city". A bench led by the Chief Justice of India, Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, rejected the petition that challenged the May 7 order of the Bombay High Court, which refused to stay the construction work noting that the Rs 229-crore project was in public interest. Citing the benefits of the coastal road, which stretches from Marine Drive to Worli along Mumbai's shoreline, Chief Justice Gavai said that a person travelling to south Mumbai took three hours earlier, which has now been reduced to 40 minutes. He also said that everyone wants sewage plants, but "not near their house". The top court directed the high court, which is scheduled to hear the petition again on June 20, to expedite the hearing. The petitioners told the Supreme Court that the project commenced without prior public notification, consultation, or engagement with local stakeholders. They said the proposed jetty (structure built in water and used by people for getting on and off boats) and terminal would impact more than two lakh residents in the Colaba area. Jetty Project Near Gateway Of India The project, located near the Radio Club -- about 500 metres from the Gateway of India - is expected to reroute all boat traffic from the iconic monument and reduce existing congestion as well as upgrade the old facilities. The jetty will have the capacity to accommodate up to 20 boats at a time, allowing for their smoother operations. The terminal building will have a 350-person capacity amphitheatre, a berthing jetty, an approach jetty, a fire safety system, and CCTVs besides gardening and beautification works. The project is likely to be completed in two years.
New Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Strong, glaring case needed for interim order: SC to petitioners challenging Waqf Amendment Act
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that there was a presumption of constitutional validity in favour of every statute passed by the Centre and told the petitioners that if they want interim relief, then they must make a very strong and glaring case, while hearing a batch of pleas challenging the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025. A bench of the top court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 on the question of passing interim orders. During the hearing, the two-judge bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih orally observed that for a stay of the statute, a strong case has to be shown. "There is a presumption of constitutionality in favour of every statute. For interim relief, you have to make out a very strong and glaring case. Otherwise, presumption of constitutionality will be there," CJI Gavai said. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners, told the apex court that they have a strong prima facie case and asserted that "irreparable injury will be caused if the provisions are activated." The arguments were inconclusive on Tuesday and would continue on Wednesday, when the Centre will argue defending the Waqf amendment act.
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
President Droupadi Murmu, R N Ravi and Supreme Court: Questions for the Bench
Chief Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, who was sworn in to the highest judicial office Wednesday, the first Buddhist and only the second Dalit to be elevated to this position, begins with a plateful. President of India Droupadi Murmu has sent the Supreme Court a list of 14 questions sparked by the Court's April verdict. The SC had declared the action of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi in reserving 10 bills for the consideration of the President, after they had been reconsidered by the state legislative assembly, to be 'illegal' and 'erroneous'. In the process, it prescribed timelines for the Governor's decision in the lawmaking process — three months when a bill is first sent, a month when it is resent. More controversially, it laid down a three-month deadline for the President as well. Unsurprisingly, this was seen as contentious. It could be argued that guardrails for the exercise of gubernatorial discretion were needed, and especially so in a political context where, in several states, governors appointed by the BJP-ruled Centre are seen to be locked in open and perpetual conflict with the non-BJP elected government, smudging lines of accountability and creating obstacles in governance. But by asking the President to adhere to a deadline, by prescribing the manner in which she must exercise the power given to her by Article 201 — in other words, by seeking to limit the President's constitutional discretion — the court invited questions of overreach. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar articulated those concerns by overstating them. Article 142, which empowers the SC to pass 'any decree or order necessary for doing complete justice in any case or matter pending before it', a power it exercised in the case against Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi, had become a 'nuclear missile against democratic forces', he said. Now, the President's 14 questions — even though the Court is not obliged to answer them, and in spite of the fact that its opinions are not legally binding — are an opportunity. They can lay the ground for a calmer dialogue and deliberation on the issues that lie at the core of the matter — the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers; the boundaries of executive discretion and judicial review (can the latter, for instance, kick in even before a bill becomes law?); the balance between the executive, legislature and judiciary in a framework of federal democracy. Going ahead, such a dialogue will be complicated by the political context in which it occurs — an aggressive executive has been facing off with the judiciary, with the waqf law that has been passed by Parliament and taken up by the Court for a pointed questioning being the latest flashpoint. The process of deliberation will also be made more fraught by the fact that among President Murmu's 14 questions to the Court are those that challenge its broader powers under Article 142 — going much beyond the questions of justiciability of gubernatorial and presidential discretion. That the President chose to make a reference to the Court under Article 143, which concerns the SC's advisory jurisdiction on critical constitutional questions, instead of merely seeking a review of its April ruling, has also sharpened the stakes. For it to be fruitful, the to-and-fro between the President and the Court will need to be conducted in a climate of mutual trust and respect, not suspicion.
