IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NO.2408 OF 2011 (ARISING OUT OF SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION(C.)NO.12229 OF 2010)

BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPN.LTD. ... APPELLANT

VERSUS

LALMAN R. SHARMA & ORS. ... RESPONDENTS

O R D E R

Leave granted.

We have heard Mr.G.E.Vahanvati,  learned Attorney General  

for India appearing for the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and  

Mr.Aniruddha Rajput, learned counsel for the respondents.  

The main grievance which has been articulated by learned  

Attorney General for India is that the impugned judgment has been  

passed  without  giving  any  opportunity  to  the  appellant  herein-  

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. to file its reply. In other words,  

the  case  of  the  appellant  has  not  even  been  considered  before  

passing the impugned judgment/order. We see considerable force in  

this  submission.  Consequently,  the  impugned  order/judgment  dated  

25.01.2010 passed in Writ Petition No.952 of 2009 is set aside and  

the  matter  is  remitted  to  the  High  Court  for  deciding  it  in  

accordance with law, after taking into consideration the reply of  

the appellant herein.  

: 2 :

Since  the  matter  has  been  pending  here  for  quite  some  

time, we request the High Court to decide it expeditiously.   

The appeal is disposed of accordingly.

...................J. (DALVEER BHANDARI)

...................J. (DEEPAK VERMA)

NEW DELHI; 9TH MARCH, 2011