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2. Applications stand disposed of.

W.P.(C) 138/2025 & CM APPL. 652/2025 W.P.(C) 139/2025 & CM APPL. 659/2025 W.P.(C) 180/2025 & CM APPL. 777/2025 W.P.(C) 188/2025 & CM APPL. 845/2025 W.P.(C) 211/2025 & CM APPL. 946/2025

3. The present petitions are filed by the petitioners who are engaged in the business of importing gold bullion which are used for the manufacturing of gold ornaments. The petitioners are aggrieved by the Minutes of Meeting dated 08.11.2024, in terms of which, the utilization of allocated Bullion Tariff Rate Quota (hereinafter referred as 'TRQ') for the Financial Year 2024-25, under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement dated 18.02.2022 (hereinafter referred as 'CEPA') was reviewed and revised mid-term by the respondent no.1.

4. At the outset, it is noticed that the factual matrix is identical in all these petitions and the petitioners (in each of these petitions) impugn the same Minutes of Meeting, raising similar grounds of challenge against common respondents. In the above circumstances, it is considered apposite to dispose of the petitions by way of a common order.

5. Pursuant to the execution of CEPA, a meeting was held on 15.04.2024 at the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) headquarters for consideration of the allocation of the bullion TRQs under the CEPA for the Financial Year 2024-25. The respondents in the aforesaid meeting decided/concluded as under:

6. The petitioners had applied for the TRQ in CEPA for the import of gold bullion and on the basis of the aforesaid decision/meeting, the petitioners were issued a certificate/license with validity up to 31.03.2025.

7. Subsequently, in terms of paragraph no. 7 of the Minutes of the aforesaid Meeting, the respondents held a mid-year review of allocation of bullion TRQ under CEPA for FY 2024-25. In the said Minutes, the committee reviewed and revised the original TRQ on the basis of the utilisation records of the previously allocated TRQs (FY 2024-25) and decided as under:

7. That being said, the Court understands that the intent behind the review exercise is to ensure that the TRQ allocations are specifically adhered to. Therefore, the Respondents' objective in conducting the review appears to be solely to ensure that the TRQ imports under the India-UAE CEPA are fully met. However, in light of the aforementioned circumstances, since the review decision was made without affording the Petitioners an opportunity to be heard, and Ms. Shiva Lakshmi has also indicated that the Petitioners should have first approached the DGFT with their concerns, the Court is of the opinion that it would be more appropriate at this stage, without delving deep into the merits of the case, to direct the DGFT to examine all the issues raised by the Petitioners in the present petitions and issue a fresh decision on the basis thereof.