Supreme Court Clears GMR Airports’ Path for Nagpur Airport Upgrade

The Supreme Court has given the green light for GMR Airports to upgrade and operate Nagpur's Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, by rejecting the Centre and AAI's curative plea. The court upheld a previous Bombay High Court ruling that annulled a contract cancellation by MIHAN India Ltd, emphasizing the importance of fairness and rule of law in government contracts.

The Supreme Court on Friday cleared the way for private firm GMR Airports to upgrade and operate Nagpur's Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. This decision came after the court dismissed a curative plea filed by the Centre and the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

The Centre and the AAI had previously filed a review petition, which was rejected by the top court. The latest curative plea was the last legal recourse, aiming to overturn a Bombay High Court judgment that favored GMR Airports.

Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, and J K Maheshwari, ruled against the Centre and AAI's petition, citing the lack of legal grounds under the criteria established in the 2002 Rupa Ashok Hurra case. They emphasized that the government was not overlooked in the earlier proceedings.

The solicitor general acknowledged that the curative plea did not meet the necessary legal parameters, and the court dismissed it as 'not pressed.' He pointed out a potential issue about the involvement of the Centre and the AAI in similar future cases, which the court noted. The Nagpur airport's contract had earlier been disputed when MIHAN India Ltd annulled it, a decision overridden by the Bombay High Court and now upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court underscored that government contracts should adhere to principles of fairness and legality, ending the long-standing litigation and allowing GMR Airports to proceed with the airport's modernization.

(With inputs from agencies.)