'Bullet train project is of national importance', Bombay HC rejects Godrej plea

Mumbai: 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.