In Brief
Ram Kumar, appointed as a Fair Price Shop dealer by regular selection, challenged a High Court order that restored a cancelled licence to Kiran Devi without impleading him as a party. The Supreme Court held that Ram Kumar was a necessary party to the proceedings, since the earlier allottee's restoration would directly affect his rights. Additionally, the Court found that Kiran Devi had fraudulently suppressed the fact of Ram Kumar's appointment and falsely claimed no third-party allotment had been made. The Court quashed the High Court's order, affirmed the licence cancellation, and reaffirmed that subsequent allottees have a right to be heard in such proceedings despite lacking independent legal rights.
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