Kishor Limbraj Shinde vs Amar Baburao Kamble on 1 February, 2012
"5. Undisputedly, D.D.A. had taken a conscious decision to auction the plot.
It is neither the pleaded case of the respondents nor has any material been
produced before this Court to show that the said decision was taken by the
competent authority under some misapprehension. It is also not in dispute
that the appellants participated in the auction held on 21-6-1988, and gave the
highest bid, which, as mentioned above, was rejected by the Vice-Chairman,
D.D.A. The communication dated 7-7-1988, does not make a mention of the
reason which may have prompted the Vice-Chairman to reject the bid given by
the appellants. No other record has been produced before the Court to show
that the decision of the Vice-Chairman was based on rational and tangible
reasons and was in public interest. Therefore, there is no escape from the
conclusion that the decision of the concerned authority was wholly arbitrary.
The learned Single Judge without property appreciating the nature of the
appellants' challenge to the rejection of their bid, dismissed the writ petition.
The Division Bench also committed the same error by dismissing the appeal.
Therefore, the impugned orders are legally unsustainable. Accordingly, the
appeals are allowed, impugned orders passed by the High Court are set aside,
writ petition filed by the appellants before the High Court is allowed and the
decision of the Vice-Chairman, D.D.A. to reject the bid of the appellants is
quashed. The appellants are directed to deposit the amount of bid along with
the interest thereon at the rate of eighteen per cent from the date of bid till the
date of actual payment within a period of three months from today. Thereafter
the D.D.A. shall complete all the formalities of land and hand over possession
to the appellants. The needful be done within three months from the date the
amount is deposited by the appellants."