BIG relief for Gautam Adani: SC refuses to stay Dharavi redevelopment project, asks Adani Group to...

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to halt the ongoing construction work for the Dharavi redevelopment project, providing a huge relief to billionaire Gautam Adani-led Adani Group.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had ruled in favour of the conglomerate.

The top court said that work on the project had already started, including the demolition of some railway quarters.

Court's order
A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna remarked that the High Court's decision was justified as the railway line would also be developed and incorporated into the project.
It has, however, directed that all payments linked to the project be made from a single escrow account.

The SC bench issued notices to the Maharashtra government and Adani Properties -- a subsidiary of the Adani Group -- and scheduled the next hearing for May 25.

Seclink's petition
An appeal to pause the project had been filed by Seclink Technologies Corporation. Seclink, a United Arab Emirates-based (UAE) company, had opposed the Maharashtra government's decision to award the Dharavi redevelopment project to the Adani Group.

Seclink, which had originally bid Rs 7,200 crore for the Dharavi project, informed the apex court it was willing to raise its offer by 20 percent. The bench has now directed Seclink to submit an affidavit detailing its revised bid.

In December 2024, the Bombay High Court had upheld the Maharashtra government's move to cancel Seclink's bid and award the project to the Adani Group.