{
  "id": 12153128,
  "title": "Supreme Court Leaves Great Nicobar Project Petitions To Calcutta High Court",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/supreme-court-leaves-great-nicobar-project-petitions-to-calcutta-high",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T12:24:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/supreme-court-leaves-great-nicobar-project-petitions-to-calcutta-high-court"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Monday, the Supreme Court decided not to interfere with the proceedings of the Calcutta High Court regarding the Great Nicobar development project. The Court's Chief Justice, Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana acknowledged that the High Court had already scheduled the lead matter for final hearing on November 25 and 26. They encouraged the High Court to complete pleadings and try to hear the cases on the designated dates.\n\nThe Centre had requested the Supreme Court's intervention following the Calcutta High Court's rejection of their preliminary objection to the petitions challenging government actions connected to the project. The main issue at hand was the locus standi, or legal standing, of one of the petitioners, retired IAS officer Meena Gupta, who is from Hyderabad and not a resident of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Attorney General for India, R Venkataramani, argued that the maintainability of the proceedings was crucial, mentioning that environmental clearance had already been contested before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and voiced concerns about multiple cases challenging the project.\n\nSenior Advocate S Muralidhar, representing the respondents, emphasized the significance of tribal rights in the dispute, pointing out that Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) were affected. He also noted that the Center's counsel had sought a final hearing before the High Court. Muralidhar stated that the two indigenous communities in question, the Shompen and Great Nicobarese, had not been heard yet. Justice Bagchi acknowledged the public interest questions and highlighted the importance of preserving tribal identity and culture, taking into account demographic changes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.\n\nThe dispute revolves around the balance between the government's strategic interests in the project and concerns over environmental safeguards and the constitutional protection of indigenous communities. The Supreme Court decided to let the High Court handle the litigation process, leaving the final decision to them.",
  "summary": "The Supreme Court on Monday declined to interfere with proceedings before the Calcutta High Court challenging the Great Nicobar development project, leaving the High Court to hear the petitions and the Centre’s objections to their maintainability. A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana noted that the High Court had already listed the lead…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}