In *Commissioner of Police v. Gordhandas Bhanji, AIR 1952 SC 60*, what was the basis on which the Supreme Court invalidated the Police Commissioner's order of cancellation?

1. In **Commissioner of Police v. Gordhandas Bhanji, AIR 1952 SC 60**, the Police Commissioner was empowered to grant licences for construction of cinema theatres. 2. He granted the licence but later **cancelled it on the direction of the Government**. 3. The Supreme Court declared the cancellation order BAD because the Police Commissioner did **NOT apply his mind** — he acted under the dictation of the Government rather than exercising his own discretion. 4. The case is a leading authority on the **non-application of mind / acting under dictation** category — discretion vested in one authority cannot be exercised at the direction of another. _Source: ICSI CS Executive — Lesson 5, '(b) Non-application of mind — Acting under dictation', p. 122._