Mandatory personal hearing before registration cancellation bars retrospective cancellation without due process.

Cancellation of registration under the statutory scheme was held unsustainable where the dealer was not afforded the mandated personal hearing before cancellation. The court noted that the hearing requirement under Sections 39(14) and 39(15) could not be treated as harmless merely because the application was filed online, especially after the dealer promptly stated that the filing was a mistake and that another entity was intended. The proposed inspection was also not carried through, and retrospective cancellation was not justified on the facts. The cancellation order and the revisional order refusing restoration were set aside, and registration was directed to be restored.

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Issues: Whether the cancellation of registration and the revisional order rejecting restoration were valid when no personal hearing was afforded and the cancellation was given retrospective effect.

Analysis: The statutory scheme under Sections 39(14) and 39(15) required a personal hearing before cancellation of registration. The absence of such hearing could not be treated as harmless merely because the cancellation application had been filed online, especially when the dealer promptly asserted that the application was made by mistake while intending to cancel another entity's registration. The verification notice also indicated that inspection of the business premises was contemplated, but that process was not carried through. The cancellation was further found to be unsustainable because it operated retrospectively, which was not justified on the facts.

Conclusion: The cancellation order and the revisional order were invalid and liable to be set aside.

Final Conclusion: The writ petition succeeded and the petitioner's registration was directed to be restored.

Ratio Decidendi: Where the statute mandatorily requires a personal hearing before cancellation of registration, cancellation made without such hearing and with retrospective effect cannot be sustained.

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