In Brief
The Supreme Court considered whether Kerala's decision to demolish and reconstruct the Palarivattom Flyover, rather than repair it, violated Article 14 of the Constitution. After the flyover developed cracks within a year of inauguration, the State appointed a High Level Committee of expert engineers to evaluate divergent proposals from IIT Madras (repair via strengthening) and Dr. E. Sreedharan (demolition and reconstruction with 100-year guarantee). The Committee recommended Sreedharan's approach, which the State accepted. The High Court had directed a load test first. The Supreme Court set aside the High Court judgment, holding that the State's acceptance of a reasoned expert committee recommendation does not constitute arbitrary action reviewable under Article 14. Courts must confine judicial review to testing arbitrariness, not substitute their judgment on technical matters.
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