SHAM LAL AALA RAM SURINDER SINGH BHAGWANDAS AND COMPANY TARLOK SINGH LAHNA SINGH AND COMPANY Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This judgmentwill govern the disposal of these eight appeals filed on the strength of certificates of fitness granted by the High Court of Punjab of Haryana.

(2.) The appellants have been carrying on business as liquor contractors. At the annual excise auctions held for the year 1968-69, they were the highest bidders for the country liquor vends at various places in the State of Punjab and the auctions were knocked down in their favour.

(3.) Since the question involved and basic facts - with immaterial variations - are common, it will be sufficient to refer to the facts of the case giving rise to Civil Appeal 1641 of 1971, in which only arguments have been specifically addressed to us by Shri T. S. Munjral, counsel for the appellant. The appellant-firm in this case gave the highest bids of Rs. 2,64,000/- and Rupees 1,03,000/- respectively, and got licences in Form L-14 for retail country liquor vends at Jandiala and Bundala in Jullundur District. The material conditions of the licences announced at the auction and accepted by the appellants, were that annual quotas of liquor (in proof litres) for the vends at Jandiala and Bundala were 11,000 and 4600 proofs, respectively. Of the annual licence fees representing the highest bids, 1/24th was to be deposited within seven days of the auction or by the last day of the month in which the auction took place. The appellantshad duly deposited these amounts before the 1st April, 1966.