Bombay HC dismisses petition alleging corruption by Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde & Adani Group

Bombay High Court dismisses petition alleging corruption in Adani Group contract, imposes cost on petitioner.

The Bombay High Court on Monday (December 16, 2024) dismissed a petition alleging a contract awarded by the Maharashtra government to the Adani Group for supplying renewable and thermal power was a scam, and that the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and incumbent Deputy CM Eknath Shinde was involved in corruption in awarding the contract. The court has imposed a cost of ₹50,000 on the petitioner, Shriraj Nageshwar Aepurwar, deeming the petition vague, unsubstantiated, and reckless.  

The petitioner alleged that the under Article 21 of the Constitution, the contract awarded to the Adani Group for the supply of 6,600 MW (megawatt) renewable and thermal power was a violation of the petitioner’s fundamental right to fair supply of electricity at a reasonable rate. The petitioner also alleged corruption by Mr. Shinde in awarding the contract to the Adani Group.   

The petition mentioned the recent bribery charges brought against Gautam Adani, the head of the Adani Group, by the United States Department of Justice.   

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar observed that the petitioner’s arguments lacked merits, and the petition could not be allowed merely on grounds of charges filed in an American court.  

“In our opinion, filing of such writ petition containing unsubstantiated and reckless averments run the risk of sometimes even good causes being lost. There is a hidden agenda. Merely crying the word ‘scam’ does not impress us. The petitioner has made vague and unsubstantiated assertions that the contract awarded was a scam involving government authorities. The petitioner’s averments did not contain any supporting materials to show that the former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was involved in any corrupt practices,” the Bench noted.   

The Bench further said that the petitioner had not been a participant in the tender process for the contract that which culminated in its award to Adani Power Limited. “The petition is bereft of any substantiating and supporting material and contains absolutely bald and vague allegations, which in our opinion does not persuade us to entertain the same,” the Bench said, dismissing the petition and imposing a cost of ₹50,000 on the petitioner, payable to the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority.