ARJUN RAJU KHANAPURE vs UNION OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND ANR

Judgment text excerpt

1/14 19 PIL-75-21.odt MANDIRA MILIND Digitally signed by MANDIRA IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY MILIND SALGAONKAR SALGAONKAR Date: 2025.03.14 01:45:43 +0530 CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION NO.75 OF 2021 WITH INTERIM APPLICATION NO.2383 OF 2021 Arjun Raju Khanapure .. Petitioner Versus Union of India, Ministry of Road .. Respondents Transport & Highways, New Delhi & Ors. … Dr.Uday Warunjikar with Mr.Vijaykumar B. Dighe and Mr.Amol Ohal for the Petitioner. Mr.R.V.Govilkar, Senior Advocate with Mr.D.P.Singh and Ms.Shaba Khan for the Respondent No.1-UOI. Dr.Birendra Saraf, Advocate General with Mr.Vaibhav Charalwar, Mr.Prashant Mishra, Mr.Bharat Jadhav, Ms.Purva Birla and Mr.Darshil Shah for the Respondent No.2. Mr.Sahil Mate i/b Mr.Pradumna Sharma for the Respondent No.3. CORAM: ALOK ARADHE, CJ. & BHARATI DANGRE, J. RESERVED ON : 10th MARCH, 2025 PRONOUNCED ON : 13th MARCH, 2025 ... JUDGMENT (Per Bharati Dangre, J.) :- 1. Co-founder of Microsoft and Computer Programmer, Bill Gates has remarked- “The advance of technology is based on making it fit in, so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” M.M.Salgaonkar 2/14 19 PIL-75-21.odt We are confronted with a somehow similar situation in this Public Interest Litigation . 2. The present Public Interest Litigation (“PIL”) raised a challenge to the Circulars dated 12/02/2021 and 14/02/2021 issued by the National Highways Authority of India, under the directions of Union of India, whereby commuters without FASTag are mandatorily required to pay double the toll fees instead of the actual toll fees, by way of penalty from 15/02/2021. It is the contention raised that conversion of cash lanes into FASTag-exclusive lanes is illegal, arbitrary and violative of due process of