HARYANA BREWERIES LIMITED Vs. GOVT OF N C T OF DELHI LT GOVERNOR DELHI COMMISSIONER OF EXCISE CUM SPECIAL SECRETARY AND COLLECTOR OF EXCISE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This petition under Article 226 of the Constitution has been filed seeking a writ in the nature of mandamus directing the respondents to dispose of the application of the petitioners for grant of L-1 Licence for wholesale vend beer for the year 1994-95 under the Delhi Liquor Licence Rules, 1976, framed under the Punjab Excise Act as extended to Delhi, and then a mandamus is also sought directing the respondents to issue the licence "after disposing the representation/appeal made by the petitioners." A writ in the nature of mandamus is also sought directing the third respondent the Commissioner-cum-Special Secretary, Excise, to grant/renew the licence of the petitioners within seven days and then to allow the petitioners as licensee to make wholesale supply of all brands of beer, namely, (1) Rosy Pelican Beer; (2) Boxer Super Strong Beer; (3) Haywards Lager Beer; and (4) Haywards-2000 Extra Strong Beer, with a direction to the respondents to grant permission to import the same from the State of Haryana. The prayers made in the petition are not very intellgible as the petitioners seek various reliefs one after the other. First the petitioners want their application to be decided, then they talk of representations/appeal, then grant/renewal of the licnece, and lastly, for permission to import the beer and to make wholesale supply of the same.

(2.) We issued notice to the respondents on the contention of the petitioners that their application for grant of L-1 Licence had not been decided so far. There is no order of the authorities which is impuned before us. It, however, appears that first petitioner was granted L-1 (wholesale vend of beer) Licence for the year 1993-94 for sale of two brands of beer, namely, Rosy Pelican Beer and Boxer Super Srong Beer. Its complaint has been that it has not been granted licence for the other two brands of beer. It would, thus, appear that the petitioners have not cared to frame the prayers in the writ petition properly. What the petition contains are : L-1 Licence granted to the first petitioner for the wholesale vend of two brands of beer Rosy Pelican Beer and Boxer Super Strong Beer for the year 1994- 95; copy the application for grant of licence for the year 1994-95 for the vend of all the four brands of beer; reminders and representations addressed to the Excise Commissioner, the third respondent, and the Lt. Governor, the second respondent. If we refer to representation dated 26 May 1994 of the first petitioner to the Excise Commissioner, it starts with the following statement :-

(3.) In answer to the show cause notice the respondents have filed the affidavit of the Excise Commissioner, the third respondent. It is stated that the petitioner is not the owner of the trade mark registration rights of the brands for which it had not been granted licence and that for the petitioner to enable it to get a licence registration must be vested in it. It is stated that these brands belong to another company Shaw Wallace & Co. Ltd. A communication dated 13 December 1994 addressed to the petitioner has also been filed wherein it is mentioned that with reference to letter dated 23 May 1994 of the petitioner regarding registration of two brands of beer,viz., Haywards Lager Beer and Haywards 2000 Extra Strong Beer, it was stated that the matter was considered and rejected "since the trade mark registration rights of these two brands of beer is not with M/s. Haryana Breweries Ltd." The petitioner with its brief note of arguments has also brought on record a letter dated 13 December 1994 from the office of the Commissioner of Excise to Shaw Wallace & Co. Ltd. This letter reads as under :-