Taking cognisance of a news report published in a local Marathi daily on August 2, 2024, Justices Nitin Sambre and Abhay Mantri of the High Court instructed the Registry to register the news item as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The report concerns the daily eight-hour closure of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Sonegaon, which has been ongoing since March 2024.
The High Court appointed Advocate Kartik Shukul as an Amicus Curiae to assist in the case, as suggested. During the hearing on August 2, the Court “requested” Advocate Shukul to draft an appropriate petition within one week. He was also directed to provide an advance copy of the petition to Government Pleader Devendra Chauhan and Deputy SGI N.S. Deshpande.
The cited reason for the airport’s eight-hour daytime closure is runway repairs. However, the report indicates that since March 2024, hardly any repair work has been done.
The airport’s closure is causing difficulties and inconvenience for travellers in Central India. Since Nagpur is centrally located, the airport is important for people in the region. The High Court has taken this news report as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
In its order, the High Court noted that the State of Maharashtra, represented by the Principal Secretary of the Department of Civil Aviation, the Maharashtra Airport Development Company, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, and the Multi-Modal International Cargo Hub, along with the Airport Authority of India and the Station Manager of Nagpur Airport, are likely respondents to the petition. The Court has issued notices to all these authorities, directing them to submit their responses to the PIL as soon as possible. The next hearing for preliminary consideration is scheduled for August 14 at 2:30 pm.