Courts should not disturb a bona fide technical evaluation of an infrastructure project, Rajasthan High Court holds

4 November 2026

The Rajasthan High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation against a one way underpass at the Purani Chungi Junction on Ajmer Road in Jaipur.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay K Agrawal and Justice Sameer Jain decided Gyanesh Kumar Sharma v State of Rajasthan and others.
The project is being executed by the Jaipur Development Authority on approvals given by its Public Works Committee.
The Bench held that a court must show restraint when a public interest litigation attacks a contractual or tender decision, and should step in only where the decision is arbitrary, irrational, unreasonable, malafide or illegal.
Review under Article 226 looks at the legality and fairness of the decision making process, not at the merits of the choice made, the Court said, relying on the Supreme Court's decision in Jagdish Mandal v State of Orissa.
Finding no material to show that the project was against the public interest, it held that a bona fide technical evaluation should not be interfered with and dismissed the petition.