The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court declined to prohibit the Sher-e-Kashmir Bridge extension at Poonch after considering subsequent hydraulic assessment and the committee constituted under its earlier directions.
Judge / Bench — Justice M. A. Chowdhary
Judicial review scrutinises legality and the decision-making process, with due weight to technical expertise; apprehended harm alone did not justify stopping the project. Technical necessity nevertheless does not authorise unlawful interference with private property. Petitioners were directed to submit claims for property loss to the Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, within eight weeks of the order. The authority must verify damage and take expeditious compensation steps where entitlement is established. Compensation was not quantified or awarded unconditionally. The connected contempt proceedings were closed following disposal of the main case.
Case — Bhagat Raj and others v. State of Jammu & Kashmir and others · OWP No. 1629/2014 with CPOWP No. 2/2016 · 22 October 2026 · Jammu wing
Advocates appearing — Petitioners — Adv. Ravi Abrol. Respondents — AAG Ravinder Gupta; Adv. Supreet Singh Johal.