IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.N.RAVINDRAN TUESDAY, THE 3RD NOVEMBER 2009 / 12TH KARTHIKA 1931 WP(C).No. 28976 of 2009(N) -------------------------- PETITIONER(S): --------------- ABBAS, AGED 27 YEARS, S/O.MOIDEEN KUNHI, R/AT MUSTIKUNDU HOUSE, MULIYAR VILLAGE, KASARAGOD DIST. BY ADV. SRI.KODOTH SREEDHARAN RESPONDENT(S): --------------- 1. STATE OF KERALA, REPRESENTED BY SECRETARY, DEPT. OF FOREST, SECRETARIAT, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-01. 2. ASSISTANT CONSERVATOR OF FOREST, KANNUR P.O., KANNUR DISTRICT. 3. FOREST RANGE OFFICER, KASARAGOD P.O., KASARAGOD DISTRICT. BY GOVT. PLEADER SRI. HANIL KUMAR THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 03/11/2009, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: P.N.RAVINDRAN, J. --------------------------- W.P.(C) No. 28976 OF 2009 -------------------------- Dated this the 3rd day of November, 2009 J U D G M E N T The petitioner is the registered owner of a goods vehicle bearing registration No.KL-06C/45. The said vehicle was seized by the Police and produced before the Forest Range Officer on the suspicion that it was used to commit a forest offence. In this writ petition, the petitioner seeks a direction to the respondents to release the vehicle to him expeditiously. 2. The learned Government Pleader appearing for the respondents submits on instructions that the Forest Range Officer, Kasargod has after enquiry come to the conclusion that the vehicle was not used to commit any forest offence and that the trees carried in it were cut and removed were from private lands. He also submits that the third respondent has therefore recommended that the proceedings initiated against the petitioner’s vehicle and the owner of the lands should be dropped. He also submits that pursuant to the report submitted by the third respondent, the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kannur, has on 22.10.2009 directed release of the vehicle to the registered owner. W.P.(C) No. 28976/09 2 In the light of the submission made at the Bar by the learned Government Pleader that the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kanoor, has ordered release of petitioner’s vehicle, the petitioner cannot have any subsisting grievance. I accordingly dispose of this writ petition with a direction to the Forest Range Officer, Kasargod to release the vehicle bearing registration No.KL-06C/45 to the petitioner under proper acknowledgement in implementation of the order already issued by the Deputy Conservator of Forests on 22.10.2009. The vehicle shall be released on the day the petitioner produces a certified copy of this judgment before the third respondent. P.N.RAVINDRAN, JUDGE vps