In Brief
The Ghaziabad Development Authority cancelled the appellant's highest bid (₹29,500 per sq m) for a 3,150 sq m industrial plot after declaring him the winner, citing that smaller plots in the same scheme fetched higher prices. The Supreme Court held this arbitrary and unconstitutional. Once valid bids are accepted and the highest bidder declared, cancellation on extraneous grounds—comparison with dissimilar smaller plots—violates fairness principles and Article 14. The authority must exercise discretion within tender conditions. The Court allowed the appeal, quashed the cancellation, and directed issuance of the allotment letter after re-deposit of earnest money.
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