Judgement

BHAGWATI, C.J.I. :- These appeals by special leave are directed against a judgment of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in what has come to be known as, M. P. Liquor case, brought before the High Court by way of three writ petitions under Art. 226 of the Constitution. Writ Petn. No. 3718 of 1985 was filed by one Nandlal Jaiswal on 28th November 1985 while Writ Petn. No. 335 of 1986 was filed by one Sagar Agarwal on 24th January 1986. Both these writ petitions were directed against the policy decision of the State of Madhya Pradesh contained in the Cabinet decision dated 30th December, 1984. The third writ petition, viz., Writ Petition No. 785 of 1986 was also filed challenging the same policy decision of the State of Madhya Pradesh by a firm called M/s. Doongaji and Co. but it was filed much later at a time when arguments were actually going on in Court in the first two writ petitions. The respondents in the first two writ petitions were not aware at that time that it was a writ petition which was filed by M/s. Doongaji and Co. They thought that it was merely an intervention application since no notice was served upon them and they had also no opportunity of filing an affidavi