Jagdish Mandal vs State Of Orissa And Ors. [Alongwith ...

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Orissa High Court, which allowed the writ petitions challenging the award of construction contracts under the Upper Indravati Irrigation Project. The Court found that the fifth respondent's Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) was invalid due to a fraudulent alteration of the deposit amount, as confirmed by the Superintendent of Post Offices. Consequently, the Court affirmed the recommendation of the Project Level Committee to accept the next lowest valid tender from Jagdish Mandal, thereby dismissing the appeals of the fifth respondent.