Mohali: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that challenged the construction of roundabouts at several major intersections in Mohali. In a ruling delivered on Saturday, a bench consisting of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry penalized the petitioner with a ₹15,000 cost for the concealment of vital information. This fine is directed to be deposited into the Poor Patients Welfare Fund at PGIMER Chandigarh as a consequence of the petitioner’s failure to maintain transparency before the court.
The legal challenge specifically targeted the development of dumbbell-shaped roundabouts on the PR-7 stretch, focusing on the Sohana Gurdwara Junction and intersections connecting Sectors 67 through 80. In addition to seeking a halt to the current construction, the petitioner had requested the implementation of an artificial intelligence-based Intelligent Traffic Management System to handle local traffic flow. The petitioner argued that the current infrastructure plans were insufficient for the area’s growing needs, yet the court found the legal basis of the plea compromised by missing disclosures.
Upon review, the court determined that the petitioner had deliberately suppressed the existence of previous litigation involving the same sites. Earlier legal proceedings regarding the felling of trees at these locations had already been adjudicated, with the court having granted permission to remove six trees for the project. The bench emphasized that the failure to disclose this history constituted a suppression of material facts, rendering the new petition invalid. Consequently, the High Court declined to interfere with the ongoing infrastructure work in Mohali, allowing the project to proceed as planned. This ruling underscores the judiciary’s firm stance against incomplete legal submissions that could unnecessarily delay urban development projects.
