COURT OF CHH^TTIS^ARH AT BILASPUR V/rst Petition (C) No.6969 of 2009 PETITIONER: RESPON&ENTS: "Versu^- 1. 3. Pawan KyiTlcr Pathak, S/o Shri Krishna Pathak, -aged about 38 years, R/o Aditya Nagar/ Pollce Statlon Mohan Nagar, Dlstrict Durg (CG) State of Chhattisgarh, through Secretary, Forest Department, DKS Bhawan; Mantraiay, Raipur, &istrict Raipur (CS) Range Officer, Forest Range, KhuJJi, &istrict Rajnandgaon (C0) Conservator of 'Forest, (Competent Officer) Forest Division, l^ajnandgaon, DIstrict ftajnandgaon (CS) Present: Shri Sunil Sahu, counse! for the petjtioner. Shri Shashc^ik Thakur, Panel Lcxwyer for the State/respondents< Bench^ Hon'ble Shn Dhlrendro Wshra, J. OR.AL ORDER (30-11-2009) X. 8y this petition under Articie 226 of th®Constitution of India, th® petltioner has impugned the order of .Annexure-P/1 passed' by the co-mpetent'aythorit^'/DivJsjona! Forest Officer, Rajnandgaon, whereby the app!lcation of the petitloner for Interim custody of the vehicte selzed in connectlon with offence under Section 52-of Ifie Indlan Forest Act has been rejected.. 2< Learned counse! for the petitloner submitted that the vehlcle m question has been sei^ed In connectJon with forest offence on 27-5-2007 and even after the lapse of 2 years, conflscatlon proceeding has not concluded, /:. Barve ^ He does not press this petltion, however, he prays for a direction to the competent authority to conciude confiscation proceedings expeditiousjy, 3. Shr? Shashank Thokur, Searned Pane! Lawyer appearing for the State/ respondents submitted that he has no objectjon if the petitlon Is disposed of wlth a direction to the competent authorjty i.e, DivJsionaJ Forest Officer, Rajn.andgaon to conclude conflscation proceeding with respect to the selzed yehicb expedjtious!y» 4. Accordingly, the petltion is disrpissed as not pressed. Howeyer, the competent authority is directed to expedite the hearing m confjscatjon proceeding with respect to the seized vehicle of Ifie petitioner and concbde the same withln a period of 2 months from tiie date of productlon of a copy of this order, of-course, subject to cooperation of the petitioner. Sd/- Dhirendra Mishra Judge