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* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

Judgment reserved on: 28.11.2025.

% Judgment delivered on: 16.12.2025

+ W.P.(C) 8347/2025,CM APPL. 36184/2025, CM APPL. 38940/2025,

CM APPL. 38942/2025, CM APPL. 39040/2025, CM APPL. 39125/2025, CM APPL. 44474/2025, CM APPL. 44476/2025 & CM

APPL. 69773/2025

ANANDAM MINERALS PRIVATE LIMITED .....Petitioner

Through: Mr. Sandeep Sethi, Senior Advocate

with Ms. Megha Karnwal, Mr. Aaditya Thorat, Mr. Anshal Singh, Mr. Karthikey Suyal, Ms. Shreya Sethi &

Mr. Krishna Gambhir, Advocates

versus

UNION OF INDIA THROUGH ITS SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF

MINES & ORS. .....Respondents

Through: Dr. B. Ramaswamy, CGSC for R-1.

Mr. Amar Dave, Senior Advocate with Ms. Sonia A. Menon, for R-2/MSTC with Mr. Mayank Pandey, GM, System, Mr. Argha Sen Gupta, DGM System, Mr. Zjbair Khan, SM, Law and Mr.

SetuDutt Sharma, SM, NRO

Mr. Rajiv Nayar and Ms. Malvika Trivedi, Senior Advocates with Mr. Gaurav Juneja, Ms. Swastika Chakravarti, Mr. Mimansha Durgapal and Mr. Shailendra, Advocates for R-3.

CORAM:

HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TUSHAR RAO GEDELA

J U D G M E N T

DEVENDRA KUMAR UPADHYAYA, C.J. 1. Heard the learned counsel for the parties.

2. This petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeks to challenge the notice dated 27.05.2025 issued by the respondent no.1 – Union of India to the extent it declares the respondent no.3 –Sunflag Iron and Steel Company Limited as the preferred bidder for grant of composite license for phosphorite mineral in respect of Surajpura Phosphorite Block, Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh (hereinafter referred to as subject mineral block). A prayer has also been made by the petitioner to issue a direction to the respondent nos.1 and 2 to continue the bidding process for the subject mineral block from the point where the technical error allegedly arose, so as to ensure that maximum price through auction is realised.

3. The Ministry of Mines, Government of India – respondent no.1, issued a Notice Inviting Tender (hereinafter referred to as NIT) on 20.01.2025 for the grant of a composite license for the subject mineral block through e-auction process.

4. The petitioner pursuant to the said NIT dated 20.01.2025, submitted its technical bid and vide e-mail communication dated 21.05.2025 issued by the respondent no.2 – Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (hereinafter referred to as MSTC), the petitioner was declared to be a technically qualified bidder in terms of Clause 8.1 A (e) of the NIT and it was further informed that floor price for the second round of online electronic auction in terms of Clause 8.1 A (d) of the NIT is 60.62%. Through the said e-mail, the petitioner was also informed that the e-auction is scheduled to start on 21.05.2025 at 02:00 p.m., which will end at 04:00 p.m. on the said date. The petitioner was further informed that the e-auction will have an auto extension option of 08 minutes.

5. On 21.05.2025, as per the case set up by the petitioner, he started bidding at 02:00 p.m. and continuously offered his bid till 09:26 p.m. at a floor price of 70.22%. It is also stated by the petitioner that simultaneously the respondent no.3 had submitted its bid at 70.27% floor price at 9:29 p.m. and thereafter, when the petitioner tried to enhance the bid to 70.32% at 9:33 p.m., and pressed the “submit button”, suddenly the screen went blank/white which continued for two to three minutes. It has also been averred by the petitioner in the writ petition that when the page was not shown, the petitioner immediately pulled the Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), which is mandatory for bidding, at 09:36 p.m. from the system and put it in other backup laptop/system and tried again to login at 09:36 p.m. However, the petitioner further states, once again, the page got blank, and the petitioner could not submit its bid further, and in this process, 08 minutes got lapsed and, therefore, the auction got closed.

6. The petitioner has also stated that immediately, an e-mail communication was se