#Tender Disqualification

Rajasthan High Court rules that shared premises, common chartered accountant, and notary between bidders create a rebuttable presumption of conflict of interest under Rule 81(3)(D) of the RTPP Rules, justifying disqualification even without evidence of actual bid rigging. The ruling sets a strict standard for bidder independence in public procurement.

Tripura High Court reinforces that rejecting the lowest bidder in government tenders without demonstrable public interest justification violates Article 14, constituting mala fide action. The court quashed the award to a higher bidder, imposed Rs. 50,000 costs, and mandated one-year blacklisting, rejecting fabricated national emergency claims and upholding dual state enlistment as valid if tender-permitted.