IOCL kerosene dealership judgment

In Indian Oil Corporation Limited vs M/s Shree Niwas Ramgopal & Ors., the Supreme Court dismissed IOCL’s challenge against the High Court's order to continue kerosene supplies to a long-standing dealer firm after the death of one partner. The Court held that the dealership could not be discontinued arbitrarily as the partnership deed allowed continuity with surviving partners. IOCL's insistence that all legal heirs join the firm was deemed contrary to its own guidelines and the law. The Court reaffirmed the principle that government entities must act fairly and not hinder commercial continuity unnecessarily.