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HC junks plea alleging fraud in DMRC-Reliance metro line deal
The public interest litigation (PIL) alleged that the agreement and release of ₹7,100 crore between DMRC and Reliance Infra is an outcome of corruption and fraud for vested interest to draw commission out of the entire amount.
The Delhi high court on Friday refused to entertain a plea by a lawyer claiming a fraud of ₹7,100 crore in the deal between the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure for the construction of the Airport Express Metro line , saying that it was “half-baked”, “misconceived” and filed without any research.
The public interest litigation (PIL) alleged that the agreement and release of ₹7,100 crore between DMRC and Reliance Infra is an outcome of corruption and fraud for vested interest to draw commission out of the entire amount.
A bench of justices Manmohan and Navin Chawla came down heavily on advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, petitioner-in-person, for not approaching DMRC before moving court or doing any homework.
“You have come with one piece of paper which is a news report…You have not written a letter to DMRC that this is the contract that you have executed under force or coercion, or due to any fraud. You have not approached anyone. You have come straight marching to the high court…Have you asked for their (DMRC’s) response on under what circumstances this contract was negotiated? Why was this agreement negotiated?…You have not done any work and the high court is supposed to do all your work,” the court said.
The consortium of Reliance Energy Limited (renamed as Reliance Infrastructure Limited) had signed a concession agreement with DMRC for the construction of the Delhi Airport Express Metro Rail Corporation (DAMEPL). However, it was terminated in October 2012 citing DMRC’s failure to cure defects in the structure supporting the Airport Metro Express Line. In 2017, the arbitral tribunal awarded damages to R-Infra, an award that was upheld by a single judge bench of the Delhi high court in 2018.
Sharma withdrew the petition with liberty to take action in accordance with law.
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