JUDGMENT

1. The petitioner in this writ application is a partnership firm and is aggrieved by an order issued vide Reference PAO/Nutan Gas Service dated 23.04.2019 under the signature of the Deputy General Manager (LPG-S), Indane Area Office, Patna, of Indian Oil Corporation (hereinafter referred to as 'the Corporation'), whereby the petitioner's distributorship has been terminated. A show cause notice dated 29.11.2017 issued by the General Manager, Bihar State Office of the Corporation, has also been put to challenge, whereby charge against the petitioner of releasing five LPG connections in favour of ineligible persons have been held to be proved. The petitioner is seeking a consequential relief after quashing of the impugned order by way of direction to the respondent Corporation to restore the petitioner's LPG distributorship, which is located at Bettiah in West Champaran, Bihar.

2. It would be relevant at this juncture to elucidate certain basic facts of the case to appreciate the true controversy, required to be addressed by this Court. Narendra Kumar Sharma, who is a partner of the firm and through whom the present writ application has been filed, was an LPG distributor and wa