Case Law Analysis
|Bombay High Court
Proportionality Principle | Minor Procedural Lapses in Ration Shop Cannot Justify Full Forfeiture of Security Deposit Under Maharashtra Government Resolution 1991 : Bombay HC
The Bombay High Court struck down the suspension of a ration shop license and total forfeiture of a Rs. 5,000 security deposit for trivial administrative oversights, holding that such penalties violate the doctrine of proportionality and contradict the State's own punitive framework under Government Resolution 1991. This ruling reinforces that public authorities must tailor sanctions to the gravity of the breach, protecting small retailers from disproportionate state action under the Public Distribution System.