The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation challenging tender processes for road works in Mohali, holding that the petition was a “personal cause camouflaged as a public cause” and imposing costs of Rs 25,000 on the petitioner.

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry was hearing a PIL filed by Kuljit Singh Bedi, deputy mayor of Mohali, which assailed certain tender processes related to the upgradation, resurfacing and beautification of roads and junctions in Mohali under the ‘Mohali’s Next Generation Programme’.

During the proceedings, the court noted that, on its direction, the petitioner had filed an affidavit disclosing his political affiliation. However, further scrutiny of the petition revealed inconsistencies that raised questions about the petitioner’s intent.

The Bench pointed out that a table in the petition indicated that horticulture work on a 45-metre-wide road in Medicity, New Chandigarh, was being carried out by the petitioner, while other works were being executed by different contractors. When questioned, counsel for the petitioner submitted that the information had been reproduced from another document and was factually incorrect. The court, however, observed that the pleadings on record did not support this explanation.

The court also noted that although the petitioner claimed to have made several representations regarding the alleged irregularities, no such documents were placed on record.

“In view of the above, we are not inclined to give further time to the petitioner and therefore, we have no hesitation to hold that the cause raised herein is in fact, a personal cause camouflaged as a public cause,” the Bench said.

Declaring the PIL as not maintainable, the court dismissed the petition and directed the petitioner to deposit costs of Rs 25,000 with the PGI Poor Patient Welfare Fund, Chandigarh, within 15 days.