- (1.) This writ petition has been taken out alleging delay on the part of the Indian postal authorities in providing facilities to the petitioners for sending bulk mails through surface air lifted mail and airmail services to various parts of the United Kingdom.
(2.) The petitioners received a business order from their foreign client (UNICEF UK) dated May 5th 2005, relevant portions whereof are : "This is to confirm that UNIGEF would like to produce in the region of 450,000 letters printed by your company and posted using the Indian postal service between the 16th May and the 31st August. After the 31st August we may look to carry out further mailings but these will be confirmed closer to the time."
(3.) The foreign party started producing similar letters and sending them in bulk using the postal services of this country, for the first time in 1997, for both the purposes they engaged the petitioners. From then the yearly practice continued smoothly till the year 2004. Charges payable ordinarily on a similar letter were always paid by the petitioners. When they approached for the requisite facilities for carrying out similar exercises in this year (2005), the postal authorities decided to stop the practice, on the ground that the foreign party adopted it with the object of profiting by the more favourable rate conditions of this country.;