The Supreme Court has declined to issue an interim stay on the Dharavi Slum Rehabilitation project being executed by the Adani Group, despite a request from Seclink Technology Corporation, a company that lost the contract. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna reviewed Seclink’s plea, which contested the project’s award to Adani. However, the court agreed to consider Seclink’s petition and has issued notices to both the Maharashtra government and the Adani Group.
The court decided against halting the ongoing construction after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Adani, informed that work had already commenced. He noted that Adani had hired over 2,000 workers, made substantial investments, acquired construction equipment worth crores, and started demolishing railway quarters on the site.
The court instructed the Adani Group to manage all project-related financial transactions through a single escrow account, ensuring proper documentation, including invoices and brochures. All financial dealings concerning the project must be processed through this designated account.
In its bid, Seclink, represented by senior advocate C. Aryama Sundaram, expressed readiness to increase its offer by 20%, proposing a revised bid of ₹8,640 crore, significantly higher than Adani’s initial bid of ₹5,069 crore. Seclink emphasized that its ₹8,640 crore bid did not include an upfront payment of ₹1,000 crore to Indian Railways and an indemnity amount of ₹2,800 crore, which it argued made its overall financial commitment exceed Adani’s total bid of ₹8,869 crore.
The Supreme Court has directed Seclink to provide an official undertaking through an affidavit confirming its latest financial proposal. The case is scheduled for a hearing in May, when the court is expected to review Seclink’s updated bid.
Previously, Seclink had contested the project award in the Bombay High Court, which upheld the Maharashtra State Housing Department’s decision to award the Dharavi Slum Rehabilitation Project to Adani Properties Pvt Ltd on December 20. The high court dismissed Seclink’s plea, allowing Adani to lead the redevelopment of the 259-hectare slum in central Mumbai, one of Asia’s largest.
Seclink, which lost the bid in 2022, argued that its initial ₹7,200 crore bid was superior to Adani’s ₹5,069 crore offer. The company claimed that the Maharashtra government unfairly canceled the original tender process and issued a new one, favoring Adani. However, the Bombay High Court found Seclink’s claims to be without merit, rejecting the assertion that the revised tender conditions were intended to disadvantage Seclink and benefit Adani.
The Dharavi redevelopment initiative gained traction in 2016 under the BJP-Shiv Sena government, led by then-chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, which prepared a detailed project report.
