This Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution has been filed by one M/s Welcome Distillery Private Limited, a manufacturer of country liquor against the order dated 20th October 2012 made by the Secretary to the Government of Bihar, Department of Prohibition and Excise, cancelling the licence granted to the petitioner and blacklisting it.

2. This Petition was earlier dismissed by a Bench of this Court by order dated 10th January 2013. On an application being Civil Review No.68 of 2013 the aforesaid order dated 10th January 2013 was recalled and the Petition was restored under order dated 10th April 2013. The said order dated 10th April 2013 having been made ex parte against the respondent nos. 8, 9 and 10 the Civil Review was heard again and was allowed on 12th February 2014. The Petition has since then been heard by us.

3. Learned counsel Mr. Jitendra Singh has appeared for the petitioner. He has taken us through the voluminous records of the writ petition. He has relied on the Bihar Excise Act, 1915 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’) particularly Sections 2(7), 42, 46, 20 and 22 of the Act. He has also relied upon the judgm