THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE GODA RAGHURAM AND THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION No. 18580 of 2009 Dated: 09-09-2009 Between: M/s Bagga Distilleries Hyderabad Pvt. Ltd., Rep. by its Director Mr. Jasmit Singh Bagga. …Petitioner and The Commercial Tax Officer, Rajendranagar Circle, Hyderabad and others. …Respondents. Oral order: (Per RR, J) The petitioner is a registered dealer on the rolls of the 1st respondent and is carrying on business of manufacture and sale of liquor. It was assessed to tax by the 1st respondent who, by order dated 7-7-2009, imposed penalty of Rs.7,40,837-00 at 25% of the actual tax payable by the dealer i.e., Rs. 29,63,349-00. Aggrieved thereby, the petitioner preferred an appeal to the 2nd respondent and the said appeal is stated to be still pending. However, the stay application filed by the petitioner was dismissed by the 2nd respondent by order dated 30-7-2009. Aggrieved thereby, the petitioner preferred a revision to the 3rd respondent. Sri S.Dwarakanath, learned counsel for the petitioner, submits that the stay application was listed before the 3rd respondent on 4-9-2009, that in view of certain unforeseen events, and 4th September being declared a holiday, the stay application could not be taken up and that, in the meanwhile, the 1st respondent is pressurising the petitioner to pay the penalty of Rs.7,40,837-00. As the revision preferred against the order of the 2nd respondent rejecting stay is still pending before the 3rd respondent, ends of justice would be met if, pending disposal of the application before the 3rd respondent, the 1st respondent is directed not to take any coercive steps for recovery of the disputed penalty of Rs.7,40,837-00. The writ petition is, accordingly, disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. ____________________________ GODA RAGHURAM, J _____________________________ RAMESH RANGANATHAN, J 9th September, 2009. GRR