IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) THE HON'BLE SMT JUSTICE T.MEENA KUMARI & THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE NOOTY RAMAMOHANA RAO WRIT PETITION NO : 9799 of 2010 Dated: 29.4.2010 Between: S. Tajvanth Singh ..... PETITIONER AND Regional Transport Officer, O/o. The Regional Transport Authority, Medchal, Ranga Reddy District and another. .....RESPONDENTS The Court made the following : THE HON'BLE SMT JUSTICE T.MEENA KUMARI & THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE NOOTY RAMAMOHANA RAO WRIT PETITION NO.9799 OF 2009 Order: (Per Hon’ble Smt. Justice T.Meena Kumari) In this writ petition, the petitioner seeks for a Writ of Mandamus to declare the action of the respondents in seizing and detaining of the petitioner’s vehicle bearing Registration No. AP 10T 2579 ( Chassis No. 344073049040 and Engine No.692D02376686, as illegal and arbitrary. He also sought for a consequential direction for release of his vehicle. Petitioner claims to have purchased the vehicle in question. According to the petitioner, the said vehicle is covered by Registration No. AP 10 T 2579. He claims to have paid the tax for the quarter ending 31.12.2009. As the vehicle became unworthy for usage on the road, he stopped plying the vehicle from the month of January, 2010. Thereafter, he seemed to have purchased an old assembled Tata make chassis referred to the above and replaced the worn out chassis. While so, on 6.2.2010, while he was conducting the trial run and proceeding towards the office of the 1st respondent for obtaining necessary permission for replacement of the said cassis, the 2nd respondent stopped the same and conducted a check and during the course of check, he found that the driver of the vehicle was not having valid documents like R.C.,F.C., permit, IC, DL and PUCC. He, therefore, seized the said vehicle under Vehicle Check Report No. A 380882, dated 6.2.2010 under Section 207 of the Motor Vehicles Act read with Section 8 of the A.P.M.V. Act. Thereafter, the petitioner approached the 1st respondent seeking release of the said vehicle. The grievance of the petitioner is that the 1st respondent is not releasing the vehicle. Under the circumstances, the writ petition is disposed of directing the respondents to release the vehicle to the interim custody of the petitioner on condition of the petitioner paying the arrears of tax and subject to the petitioner depositing an amount of Rs. 5,000/- (Rupees Five Thousand only). The petitioner shall not alienate or alter the nature of the said vehicle and shall produce the same as and when required by the authorities. He shall not ply the vehicle on the roads till the enquiry is completed. The respondents are also directed to complete the enquiry expeditiously. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of. No costs. _________________ T. MEENA KUMARI,J _________________________ NOOTY RAMAMOHANA RAO,J Date: 29th April, 2010 Nn/pnb