Jagat Narayan, J.—This is an application under Art. 226 of the Constitution against an appellate order under the Motor Vehicles Act (hereinafter called the Act) granting 5 further permits along the Ajmer-Beawar route to respondent Nos. 2 to 6. The petitioners are the existing operators on the route. Members of the Automobile Transport Ltd., petitioner No. 1, hold 6 permits on this route. Petitioners Nos. 2 and 3 hold one permit each.

2. The facts which have given rise to this application are these. In its meeting held on 25.2.56 the Ajmer State Transport Authority decided to increase the number of buses operating on this route from 14 to 17. Application for the grant of three permits were consequently invited by means of a notice published in accordance with the Rules prescribed by the Ajmer Government for publishing the applications for grant of permits under sec. 57 of the Act. No less than 102 bus owners filed applications for the grant of further permits for the route. These applications included two applications by Narain Das Lohia, Chairman of the Automobile Transport (Rajputana) Ltd. petitioner No. 1 (one in his own name and one in the name of Messrs. Lohia Transport Co.) and

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