JUDGMENT :

1. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned A.G.P. for respondents No.1 to 4 and the learned counsel for respondent No.5.

2. It is a case of partnership liquor license. The father of the petitioner and grandfather of respondent No.5 had obtained a joint retail country liquor permit on 21.07.1984. They had a written partnership. During the lifetime of Nivrutti, one of his sons, Kashinath, had applied to the authority to admit him as a partner in place of his father Nivrutti. The application remained undecided. In the meantime, Nivrutti died. The father of the petitioner had no knowledge about the application of Kashinath. He was not the partner as per the partnership deed. The said application remained pending, and it was allowed on 25.09.1990. Then, the petitioner's father/Namdeo renewed the permit in his name. Namdeo had filed a suit against the legal heirs of Nivrutti including Kashinath. However, he withdrew the suit. Thereafter, the legal heirs of Namdeo had filed Regular Civil Suit No.59 of 1992. The said suit was decreed. The first appellate Court recorded the findings that it was proved that the partnership dissolved automatically after the death of