ORDER :

1. Heard learned Senior Counsel for the NHAI, lead bank (Canara Bank), The Respondent No. 6 - Concessionaire, State Government and learned ASGI representing the Union of India on the SFIO Report. Serious Fraud Investigation Office was directed by order dated 14.11.2017 to inquire and ascertain whether the present matter involves serious case of fraud which requires to be investigated. SFIO conducted the inquiry and submitted a report in a sealed cover before this Court which was produced by the learned ASGI.

2. The background in which the direction was issued upon the SFIO to inquire into the matter, needs to be referred to hereinafter:

The instant Public Interest Litigation was initiated suo-motu by order dated 14.07.2014 on the basis of newspaper report alleging large scale cutting of trees indiscriminately for the purpose of road construction at various places.

Several orders were passed one after the other. Sometime during the course of proceedings, issue relating to delay in four-laning of Ranchi-Jamshedpur National Highway (NH-33) was also taken up. The agency Ranchi