Supreme Court dismisses IN Groupe's petition against German firms Veridos and Muehlbauer
Summary
The Supreme Court has dismissed IN Groupe’s petition challenging Nepal’s decision to award the e-passport enrolment and printing project to German firms Veridos and Muehlbauer. The ruling comes after a dispute over bid prices, alleged corruption, and claims that IN Groupe presented a false narrative against the companies and the Department of Passport.
Key Points
- The Supreme Court dismissed three writ petitions filed by IN Groupe, formerly IDEMIA, over the e-passport project award.
- The contract went to German firms Veridos and Muehlbauer after they submitted a lower bid, cutting the price of each passport booklet and saving the state money.
- A corruption case was also filed against the German companies during the dispute.
- The controversy intensified amid allegations that IN Groupe had failed to pay more than Rs 30 crore in taxes and had spread a false narrative to the Prime Minister's Office.
