RAMANUJAM J.

The first two writ petitions have been filed by Messrs Madras Aluminium Co. Ltd., hereinafter referred to as Malco, engaged in the business of manufacture and sale of wire rods. The third writ petition has been filed byM/s. Industrial Cables (India) Ltd., manufacturer and seller of power cables and conductors made out of aluminium wire rods purchased from Malco and other manufacturers of wire rods.

2.Malco started manufacturing E.C. Grade aluminium wire rods of 3/8' diameter popularly known as Properzi rods since January 1967, in the Properzi plant imported by them in the year 1966. The rods are machine wrung in nature and the process of manufacture of these rods is as under -

"Liquid aluminium produced in electrolytic pots after degasification and fluxing is fed through a cast iron tube into a rotating water cooled copper vessel, which is also water chilled on the outside. The cast rod is approximately triangular in shape and is continuous and is fed into a series of rollers having reducing diameter. The cross Section of the emerging rod is now approximately circular and the diameter is 3/8. This is then wound into a coil and sent to cable and wire manufactur