GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court on Thursday, May 1, questioned whether judicial listing practices were disproportionately favouring wealthy litigants, as it declined to urgently hear a plea by a Gujarat-based real estate company seeking relief in a resort project case near Gir National Park.
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A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan raised concerns after Wildwoods Resorts and Realties managed to secure a listing of its matter out of turn, despite the absence of clear urgency. The court directed that the matter be relisted in January 2026, stating that it saw no pressing reason to expedite the hearing.
“Mr. Rohatgi, what was the urgency in the matter?” Justice Datta questioned. “This impression goes that the Supreme Court is only for the rich? We won't have it.” The remarks were made to Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who represented the company. Rohatgi had mentioned the matter earlier before the Chief Justice’s bench, following which it was listed for Thursday.
Notably, the Gujarat High Court had dismissed the company’s plea in December 2024, but the Special Leave Petition (SLP) was filed only in April this year. The delay in approaching the court added to the bench’s scepticism about the urgency being claimed.
The case concerns Wildwoods’ proposed resort near Gir National Park, which was denied clearance by the State Board for Wildlife due to proximity concerns. The company had argued that it had entered into an MoU with the Gujarat government in 2009 and had invested in land with an assurance of support.
However, the high court had upheld the board’s decision, noting the sensitive location and emphasising the limited scope of judicial review in such matters.
Despite Rohatgi’s request to list the case in July, the Supreme Court remained firm on its decision to hear the matter next year.
