On Monday (17 July), the Supreme Court of India, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, dismissed a plea filed by a lawyer against the dismissal of a plea by the Kerala High Court. The plea sought an additional stop for the Vande Bharat train at Tirur railway station.
The Kerala High Court had previously dismissed a plea requesting the Southern Railways to allow a stop for the Vande Bharat train at Tirur station in Malappuram District.
The bench, consisting of the Chief Justice and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra, stated that it is not within their jurisdiction to decide which stations a train stops at. They emphasized that this is a policy matter that should be deliberated upon by the relevant authorities.
In its previous dismissal of the plea, the Kerala High Court noted that the writ petition did not involve any public interest. It further stated that the determination of train stops falls under the authority of the Indian Railways, and individuals do not have the right to demand specific stops.
The petitioner argued that the Malappuram district is densely populated, with many people relying on train services. Additionally, the petitioner mentioned that Tirur railway station was previously granted a stop but was later removed and replaced by ‘Shornur’ railway station in Palakkad district, allegedly due to political reasons.
Summary:
- A plea seeking an additional stop for the Vande Bharat train at Tirur railway station in Malappuram District has been dismissed by the Supreme Court of India.
- The court stated that the decision of train stops is a policy matter for relevant authorities to decide and not within their jurisdiction.
- The Kerala High Court had previously dismissed a similar plea, emphasizing that determining train stops is the responsibility of the Indian Railways, and individuals do not have the right to demand specific stops.
- The petitioner argued that the densely populated Malappuram district heavily relies on train services, and Tirur railway station was previously granted a stop but was replaced by another station allegedly due to political reasons.
