Bangalore high court to hear HAL airport case today

The Bangalore high court will hear the public interest litigations (PILs) regarding the seeking of the reopening of HAL airport for civil and commercial operations on Saturday.

City advocate GR Mohan, Lead India campaign winner RK Misra, Bangalore City Connect Foundation and others had filed PILs seeking the reopening of the HAL airport.

They had contended that the 142nd department-related parliamentary committee on transport, tourism and culture has recommended the reopening of HAL airport, which was closed for commercial operations on May 23, 2008.

A division bench comprising chief justice J S Khehar on Friday resumed the hearing of these batches of PILs. Although the hearing took place for two hours, it could not be concluded. In view of this, the bench will also sit on Saturday to hear the cases.

Interestingly, this is the ninth division bench that is hearing the case in the past three years.

In one of the earlier hearings, the attorney-general had informed the court that it was the prime minister who took the decision to close HAL airport for civilian and commercial operations.