1. Leave granted.

2. A bidder in auction for the privilege of vending foreign liquor within a circumscribed range was permitted by the Excise Commissioner to have his domain shifted to another range. On hearing the said news, a hotelier who is doing business in the latter range was distressed and she quickly approached the High Court for thwarting the said move. At the first round, the hotelier failed to checkmate the bidder as a Single Judge of the High Court declined to grant the relief prayed for by her. However, she succeeded on the second round, when a Division Bench of the High Court, on the appeal filed by her, quashed the order of the Excise Commissioner. This appeal by special leave is by the aforesaid bidder for restoration of the benefit which he secured from the Excise Commissioner.

3. In the State of Kerala, the right to sell foreign liquor is restricted by statutory provisions. The Government of Kerala has formulated Rules for it under the Kerala Abkari Act and one set of such Rules is called "the Kerala Abkari Shops (Disposal in Auction) Rules, 1974" (for convenience it would be referred to as the "Auction Rules"). The Government has the authority, under th