CWP No.12825 of 2000 1 In the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh. CWP No.12825 of 2000(O&M) Date of Decision: 11.03.2010 Sanjay Bajaj Fateh Chand and others ....Petitioners Versus State of Punjab and others ....Respondents. Coram:- Hon'ble Mr. Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel Hon'ble Mr. Justice Alok Singh 1.Whether reporters of local news papers may be allowed to see judgement ? 2. To be referred to reporters or not ? 3. Whether the judgement should be reported in the Digest ? Present: Mr. J.P. Sharma, Advocate for the petitioners. Mr. Jaswinder Singh, DAG, Punjab for the respondents. ... Alok Singh, J. In the present writ petition, the petitioner is assailing order dated 27.6.2000 (Annexure P-3) passed by the Collector-cum-Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Division Patiala, and order dated 30.8.2000 passed by the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Punjab, exercising the power of Financial Commissioner (Taxation), Punjab. Action was taken against the petitioner noticing irregularity “sale of liquor was being conducted at the unauthorised premises at Khera Bet”.The Collector- cum-Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, observed that licence of CWP No.12825 of 2000 2 the petitioner is liable to be cancelled under Section 37(2) of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 (hereinafter referred to as the Act), however, taking a lenient view has not cancelled the licence but suspended the licence under Section 36(c) of the Act for two days. However, in appeal, the appellate authority i.e. the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Punjab, exercising the power of Financial Commissioner (Taxation), Punjab, ordered that suspension be revoked on payment of Rs.50,000/- under Section 80(2) of the Act. Learned counsel for the petitioner stated that in pursuance to the order dated 17.10.2000 passed by this Court, the petitioner has deposited Rs.10,000/- as a condition precedent for staying the impugned orders. Undisputedly, period of licence is over. In view of the above, we are of the view that there is no need to decide the question raised in the petition about the legality of imposing the fine. Moreover, the petitioner has enjoyed the entire period of licence by depositing Rs.10,000/- In view of peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, we dispose of the writ petition with the direction that the amount deposited by the petitioner pursuant to the order dated 17.10.2000 shall be substituted as fine of Rs.50,000/- as imposed by the appellate authority vide order dated 30.8.2000. No further fine shall be recovered from the petitioner. Writ petition stands disposed of accordingly. ( Alok Singh ) Judge ( Adarsh Kumar Goel ) Judge 11.03.2010 sk. CWP No.13210 of 2007