IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 20.11.2025

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.DHANDAPANI

and W.M.P.No.41685 of 2024

M/s.Triloks Gas Service,

Rep.by its Proprietor: Ganesh Sarin

Old.No.16, New No.20, Govendarajapuram II Street,

Adyar, Chennai-600 020. ... Petitioner

Vs.

M/s.Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.,

Rep.by its Executive Director & Tamil Nadu State Office,

Marketing Division, Southern Region,

“Indian Oil Bhavan”, 139, Uthamar Gandhi Salai,

Chennai-600 034. ... Respondent

Prayer : Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of Indian praying issuance of a Writ of Certiorari calling for the records relating to the order of the

Respondent dated 25.11.2024 in Ref.TNS/L/TRILOK and quash the same as illegal.

For Petitioner : Mr.K.Selvaraj

For Respondent : Mr.Mohamed Fayaz Ali,

Standing Counsel

ORDER

Aggrieved by the order of termination passed by the respondent dated

25.11.2024, terminating the LPG Distributorship license of the petitioner, the petitioner is before this Court.

2. Brief facts that are necessary for disposal of Writ Petition are as follows:-

The petitioner’s mother was initially granted an LPG Distributorship on

21.02.1972 for the area of Adyar under the name of Trilok Gas Services. Subsequently, the said distributorship was transferred to the petitioner on 11.12.2017. The lease agreement for the godown was executed in favour of the petitioner in the year 2017 and submitted to the respondent corporation in the year 2023. Subsequently, upon change of ownership, the petitioner obtained a registered lease agreement lease agreement in favour of the petitioner followed by a fresh lease enhancing the rent. Whileso, a show cause notice dated 01.04.2024 was issued stating alleging cancellation of lease agreement without the knowledge of the respondent. Despite the petitioner having obtained a fresh registered lease agreement dated 12.04.2024 and submitted the same on 15.04.2024 to the respondent, the respondent had suspended the lease agreement by order dated 23.04.2024 on the ground that the earlier lease agreement stood cancelled on 30.01.2024. As against the said order of suspension dated 23.04.2024, the petitioner filed a Writ Petition in W.P.No.31310 of

2024 wherein, this Court vide order dated 21.10.2024, directed the respondent to consider the representation of the petitioner dated 20.09.2024 and pass orders on the same within a period of four (4) weeks. Though the petitioner had given a requisition letter dated 09.11.2024 for revocation of the order of suspension and the new registered lease agreement dated 12.04.2024, the respondent had terminated the distributorship vide present impugned order dated 25.11.2024. Challenging the same, the present Writ Petition has been filed.

3. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that, admittedly, the petitioner was granted LPG Distributorship license in the year 2017 for the Adyar area. Due to non-extension of the lease by the owner of the property, the respondent had earlier passed an order dated 03.07.2018 terminating the distributorship agreement on the basis of a complaint raised by the petitioner’s partner viz., Makkena Sandeepkumar against the petitioner which led to the present impugned order. Further, the said complainant filed a suit in O.S.No.4743 of 2017 by impleading the petitioner as the first defendant and the respondent herein as the second defendant on the file of the I Assistant City Civil Court, Chennai seeking to declare the letter dated 25.07.2017 sent by the first defendant to the plaintiff as not maintainable in law and for such other reliefs which was dismissed vide order dated 02.12.2023.

4. It is the further submission of the learned counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner preferred a Writ Petition before this Court in W.P.No.17125 of 2018 challenging the order of suspension dated 03.07.2018 passed by the 1^st respondent, which was disposed of vide order dated 20.03.2023 by extending the interim order which was already granted till