Court Reverses Petrol Pump Cancellation Over Minor Typo

In a significant ruling, the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench overturned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's decision to cancel a petrol pump dealership over a typographical mistake. The cancellation of Raghvendra Awasthi's dealership was based on a clerical error in the advertisement, which the court found to be unfair and legally unsound.

The court, led by justices Shekhar B Saraf and Indrajit Shukla, highlighted that the mistake in the advertisement—mislabeling a road as MDR instead of ODR—did not cause any confusion regarding the petrol pump location. Awasthi had already fulfilled all necessary requirements and invested significantly towards the dealership.

Emphasizing the concept of 'legitimate expectation,' the court noted that Awasthi relied on the company's assurance and made financial commitments. The court's decision mandates BPCL to reinstate the Letter of Intent and continue the allocation process, rejecting the notion of cancellation on such technical grounds.