ANIRUDDHA BOSE, J.:-

1. In this writ petition, dispute is over selection of a dealer to a retail dealership outlet of the Indian Oil Corporation (the oil company) on Jessore road near the Kolkata Airport Gate No. 1. Advertisement inviting application for this vacancy was published on 30th December 2009. The Petitioner and the private respondents, being respondent Nos. 7, 8 and 9 were all applicants thereof. Of these three private respondents, the respondent No.7 has mainly contested this writ petition. The writ petitioner appeared in the interview along with the other candidates, and on evaluation of their candidature on the basis of particulars supplied by the individual applicants, a merit panel was published on 12th May, 2010. The writ petitioner found his position on top of the panel, having been awarded 59 marks. The respondent No. 7 was in the second position, with 58.10. The position of the respondent No. 8 was third, having been awarded 58, whereas the respondent No. 9 had obtained 57.62. In a brochure issued by the oil company on 1st July 2009 pertaining to selection of petrol/diesel retail outlet dealers, the selection procedure on the basis of which points are awa