THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION No.24186 of 2009 Dated: 10.11.2009 Between: Samudrala Ramachandraiah and another. .. Petitioners. And The Joint Collector, Chittoor, And another. .. Respondents. ORDER: The first petitioner is the owner of the produce and the second petitioner is the owner of the lorry bearing No.AP 02 U 7529. On 15.10.2009, when the first petitioner was transporting 240 bags of paddy, produced by him, in the lorry bearing No.AP 02 U 7529, belonging to the 2nd petitioner, to Sri Kamakshi Modern Rice Mill, Puttur, the Circle Inspector of Police, Srikalahasti, intercepted the lorry and, as valid documents could not be produced, he handed over the lorry, along with paddy, to the 2nd respondent-Tahsildar, Srikalahasti Mandal, Chittoor District. Thereupon, the 2nd respondent seized the vehicle, along with stocks therein, initiated enquiry under Section 6-A of the Essential Commodities Act (for short ‘the Act’) and sent a report to the first respondent-Joint Collector, Chittoor. The grievance of the petitioners is that they filed an application before the 1st respondent, seeking release of the paddy as well as the lorry, but however, no orders have been passed there on till date, and, therefore, they approached this Court by way of the present writ petition. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that there is no illegal transportation of paddy and, as the lorry of the second petitioner has been seized and not being released in spite of submitting an application for releasing the same, the second petitioner is facing hardship in eking out his livelihood. Since an enquiry purported to have been initiated under Section 6-A of the Act is pending, for which the petitioners also submitted explanation called upon by the respondents, I deem it appropriate to dispose of the writ petition as under: “The 1st respondent is, hereby, directed to complete the enquiry initiated under Section 6-A of the Act against the petitioners, at the earliest, preferably within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Till such time, the seized stocks of paddy belonging to the first petitioner shall not be sold. Further, the first respondent is directed to release the lorry bearing No.AP 02 U 7529, in favour of the second petitioner, on condition of the second petitioner furnishing an undertaking that he will not alienate the lorry and he will produce the same as and when it is required. Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of. No order as to costs. _________________________ GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA,J 10.11.2009 Note: Issue CC in two days B/o v v