Blacklisting by PSU Is ‘Civil Death’ of Business, Says Delhi High Court; Quashes IOC’s Ban on Aman Carriers

Coming down heavily on Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) for arbitrarily blacklisting a vendor without due process, the Delhi High Court has called the move a 'civil death' for business and a punitive measure that cannot be imposed for inadvertent or clerical errors. The Court quashed IOC’s orders placing transporter Aman Carriers on its 'holiday list' and directed that all consequential actions, including the blocking of the company’s PAN on the e-procurement portal, be immediately reversed. Delivering judgment on 3 November 2025, justice Sachin Datta ruled that IOC’s blacklisting orders dated 20th August and 21 August 2025 are 'unsustainable' and in violation of the principles of natural justice. The bench held that the absence of a proper show-cause notice (SCN) 'strikes at the ver