Terming
the upcoming Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project as of 'national importance',
the Bombay High Court has rejected a plea of Godrej &
Boyce Manufacturing Co. challenging the acquisition of its land in Vikhroli,
here on Thursday.
The
verdict by a division bench of Justice R.D. Dhanuka and Justice M.M. Sathaye
said that "there are no irregularities in the acquisition...", and
declined to stay the project.
The
judgement comes as a breather for the mega-project on the eve of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's visit to Mumbai on Friday for several engagements.
The
government and the Godrej group have been squabbling over the acquisition
of the company's land in 2019 for what is considered as Modi's pet project
coming up with Japanese collaboration.
The
bullet train project will be 508 kms long, including 21 kms running underground
and one of the entry points to the subterranean tunnel will fall on the land
owned by Godrej in Vikhroli which was taken over by the government.