JUDGMENT

Faizan Uddin, J.-When this Court was seized of, Writ Petition filed by the "Common Cause, A Registered Society" with regard to the alleged misuse and arbitrary exercise of discretionary power by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry in relation to the allotment of retail outlets for Petroleum products and L.P.G. Dealership, from discretionary quota, a news item in box with a caption "Pumps for all" was published in the daily newspaper "The Sunday Tribune" dated March 10, 1996 which is reproduced hereunder:-

Pumps for all :

Believe it or not, Petroleum Minister Satish Sharma has made 17 allotments of petrol pumps and gas agencies to relatives of Prime Minister Narasimha Rao out of his discretionary quota. Allotments in this category can only be made to members of the weaker sections of society and war widows. Yet five of the Prime Minister s grandchildren have been favoured as have been five of his nephews from the family of V. Rajeshwar Rao, MP Besides, three wards of his brother Manohar Rao, two relatives of P. Venkata Rao and the son of AVR Krishnamurthy whose family lives with the Prime Minister have been allocated petrol pumps and gas agencies. Similarly , Rao s da