The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has refused to entertain a petition filed by Sahara India Commercial Corporation Ltd in the Sahara Shahar land dispute, deeming it not maintainable. The court observed that the matter is already pending before the Supreme Court, where Sahara has filed an application and the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has also submitted its objections.
Court's Decision on Maintainability
A division bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla dismissed the petition, stating that since the Supreme Court is already seized of the case, the current petition cannot be entertained at this stage. Expressing its reluctance to proceed, the bench remarked, "We find our hands tied in proceeding any further in the matter."
Background of the Dispute
The petitioner had challenged two orders of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation: one dated September 8, 2025, canceling the land lease granted to Sahara on October 22, 1994, and another dated September 11, 2025, directing the vacation of the land. Sahara argued that an arbitration order passed in its favor on September 2, 2017, regarding the same land was ignored by the LMC, which wrongly cancelled the lease despite Sahara's willingness to deposit money for its extension. The LMC opposed the petition.
Supreme Court Proceedings
During the hearing, the bench noted that contempt petitions are pending in the Supreme Court against the Sahara Group related to the Sahara-SEBI dispute. Sahara had filed an application before the Supreme Court on September 14, 2025, seeking permission to transfer several properties, including Sahara Shahar, to the Adani Group. The proceeds from this transaction were intended to be deposited in the Sahara SEBI account to fulfill compliance with the Supreme Court's order. The bench found that Sahara Shahar was among the properties listed for handover to the Adani Group.
Conclusion
Given the pendency of the matter in the Supreme Court, the high court dismissed the petition as not maintainable. The court emphasized that it could not proceed further in light of the ongoing proceedings before the apex court.
