The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to modify certain adverse remarks made in its earlier judgment against Pradeep Puri, former senior official of Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL), in connection with the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway toll matter.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan clarified that while the critical observations were not directly aimed at Puri, the court saw merit in removing ambiguity to avoid unnecessary repercussions for the retired official.
“The CAG report is very clear, and therefore the judgment will remain the same. However, we will modify the judgment with respect to remarks against this person,” the bench observed, adding that since Puri had retired, it would be inappropriate for him to continue facing unintended consequences.
Puri had approached the apex court seeking deletion of personal remarks made against him in the December 2024 judgment, which was based in part on a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). His counsel argued that the CAG report did not make specific adverse comments against him personally and requested clarification in the judgment.
The court’s original ruling, delivered on December 20 last year, upheld a 2016 Allahabad High Court decision directing NTBCL to cease toll collection on the DND flyway. The verdict, which brought relief to lakhs of commuters, sharply criticised NTBCL, Noida Authority, and the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi for what it termed a “blatant misuse of power” and “breach of public trust.”
Reaffirming its stance, the apex court had also dismissed a review petition filed by NTBCL on May 9 this year.
The court underscored that NTBCL had already recovered the project cost and made significant profits. It cited the CAG report, which noted that the company had earned Rs 892.51 crore in toll revenue between 2001 and 2016, repaid all debts with interest, and paid Rs 243.07 crore in dividends to shareholders.
“NTBCL has been making profits for the last 11 years… There is no rhyme or reason for the collection of user fees/tolls to continue,” the court had remarked.
The bench also noted that the Noida Authority had overreached its authority by delegating toll collection powers to a private entity, a move the court described as disproportionately favouring private profit over public welfare.
