Judgment

A.K. Sikri, J.

Vide Notification No.39 (RE-2007)/2004-2009 dated 16.10.2007, the Central Government (respondent No.1 herein) prohibited the import of palm oil through Kochi port in Kerala. It was followed by another Notification No.63 (RE-2007)/2004-2009 dated 24.12.2007 whereby the import of palm oil has been prohibited through all the ports of Kerala. These Notifications were issued by the Central Government in exercise of powers conferred by Section 5 read with Section 3 of The Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 (hereinafter referred to as the 'Act'). All the appellants filed separate writ petitions challenging the validity of these Notifications on the ground that they were ultra vires the provisions of Section 3 of the Act and, in any case, unconstitutional as offending Article 14 of the Constitution of India. The writ petitions filed by them were dismissed by learned single Judge. Matter was carried in appeal before the Division Bench of Kerala High Court, but unsuccessfully, as these appeals have also been dismissed.

It is clear from the above that the issue involved in all these appeals are identical. This was the reason for clubbing these appeals so