Interim stay on profiteering directions granted, with instalment deposit required for the principal amount and price reduction suspended.

Interim protection was granted against directions requiring payment of the principal profiteered amount and reduction of prices in a pending writ petition. The monetary direction was stayed subject to deposit of the entire principal profiteered amount in instalments within the stipulated time, while the price-reduction direction was stayed until the next hearing after notice on the interim relief application. The court followed earlier orders in similar matters and limited relief to the terms imposed, leaving the writ petition pending for further consideration.

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Issues: Whether interim stay ought to be granted against the impugned directions, including the direction for payment of the principal profiteered amount and the direction for reduction of prices, pending further consideration of the writ petition.

Analysis: The Court granted interim protection by following earlier orders in similar matters. As to the monetary direction, stay was made conditional upon deposit of the entire principal profiteered amount in instalments within the stipulated period. As to the direction for reduction of prices, the Court considered it appropriate to call for a reply to the interim relief application and granted stay until the next hearing.

Conclusion: Interim relief was granted in favour of the petitioner, subject to the specified deposit condition for the payment direction, and the price-reduction direction was stayed until further hearing.

Final Conclusion: The writ petition remained pending, while the impugned directions were protected by an interim stay to the extent ordered.

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