ORDER :

K.SREENIVASA REDDY, J.

This Writ Petition is filed seeking to declare the action of respondents in rejecting petitioner’s application vide Ref. No.IOCL 16944339800718, dated 11.09.2025 issued by 3rd respondent and moving the application from Group-2 to Group-3 level though the petitioner was provisionally selected for award of Retail Outlet Dealership at the location ‘From NH 216 Junction to New Bus Stand, Yanam, on Draksharam Road within Yanam Municipal Limits’ in Yanam District, Union Territory of Puducherry (hereinafter referred to, as ‘the subject outlet’), as illegal and arbitrary, and consequently set aside the rejection order and direct 3^rd respondent to continue/process the petitioner’s application at Group-2 level and issue Letter of Intent for award of Retail Outlet at the aforesaid location.

2. Contents of the affidavit filed by the petitioner in support of the Writ Petition, in brief, are as follows.

Petitioner belongs to Scheduled Caste community. He is a physically disabled person, with 90% disability. Pursuant to a Notification dated 28.06.2023 issued by 3^rd respondent-IOC, the petitioner submitted online application dated 10.07.2023 seeking allotment of subject retail outlet, under SC(PH) category in Group-2. He obtained willingness from land owner for leasing out the site situated in Ward No.A, Block No.9, TS No.28/3, R.S.No.124pt, CS No.13/1/2pt, Patta No.92, Mettacur, Yanam, either to the IOC or to him, if the dealership is awarded to him for setting up the retail outlet. Pursuant to his application, IOC issued a letter of reference No.IOC16944339800718, dated 26.6.2025, informing him that he got qualified for draw of lots for selection of the dealership and asking him to be present on 7.7.2025 at 11.30 AM at HPC Regional office, Tadepalli, Guntur district. Later, he received another letter of reference dated 10.7.2025 informing him that he got provisionally selected for award of the subject retail outlet under Group-2 category. Pursuant thereto, as informed by the company, the petitioner uploaded the requisite documents along with Rs.30,000/- towards initial security deposit on 28.7.2025, which was confirmed by the IOC.

On 13.08.2025, IOC sent another a letter advising the petitioner to upload the documents (rectifiable deficiencies) mentioned therein, by 03.09.2025 for further processing of his application. But, due to ill-health as he was suffering from Bacterial Meningitis from 2^nd week to 4^th week of August, 2025, the petitioner could not check or verify his e- mail inbox.

It is the case of the petitioner that the petitioner was suffering from locomotor/orthopaedic disability with 90% disability and he was totally bedridden due to Bacterial Meningitis and did not have access to any computer during 2^nd week to 4^th week of August, 2025. On 08.09.2025, with the help of his friend, he forwarded message through Whatsapp to IOC, Visakhapatnam requesting to send status of his application, for which he received a letter on 11.09.2025 stating that in view of non-submission of the documents mentioned in rectifiable deficiencies, the petitioner’s candidature was found ineligible, but his candidature may get considered along with Group-3 applicants as per the Guidelines.

It is stated that the petitioner got selected out of six candidates through draw of lots, under Category-2, and in view of moving his candidature from Group-2 to Group-3, his chance of getting the dealership is very remote. Group- 3 deals with those applicants without any land/no land. The petitioner obtained willingness from the owner of the land situated in Yanam, Puducherry, whereunder the land owner expressed willingness to lease to lease the land either to the petitioner or to the IOC, for 20 years. Though all the documents given by the petitioner are in order, he was moved from Group-2 to Group-3. He already incurred huge expenses on site advance, payment of rentals to the land owners from October, 2023 and initial security deposit, etc. Pet