Bullet train project: SC agrees to hear pleas against land acquisition process

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine a batch of pleas filed by farmers against the Gujarat High Court verdict which had dismissed their petitions challenging the process of land acquisition for the ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

The bullet train project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in September 2017.

The train will run at a speed of 320-350 kmph, and will have 12 stations across its 508-km stretch from Ahmedabad to Mumbai.

A bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose issued notices to the Centre, Gujarat government and others on a batch of appeals challenging September 19 last year verdict of the high court.

As an interim relief, the plea has sought to restrain the Gujarat government from proceeding ahead with the process of land acquisition for the purpose of the bullet train project.

"Issue notice on the SLPs (special leave petitions) as well as on the application for stay, returnable on March 20, 2020," the bench said.