IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) WEDNESDAY, THE NINTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND NINE PRESENT THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION NO : 18861 of 2009 Between: Sri Pola Veeresham . .Petitioner And The Joint Collector (C.S) II, R.R.District and another. .. Respondents THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION NO.18861 OF 2009 ORDER: The petitioner filed this Writ Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, seeking a writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the 2nd respondent in seizing private rice of 45 quintals worth Rs.8,460/- from the D.C.M. Van bearing No.AP 29 T 9155 on 12.08.2009 alleging that the driver of the said vehicle is not having valid licence is illegal, arbitrary and violation of principles of natural justice and consequently direct the respondents to release the seized stocks forthwith. 2) The brief facts are that when the petitioner was transporting 45 quintals of rice in a D.C.M. van bearing No.AP 29 T 9155 to Hyderabad, the 2nd respondent along with his staff intercepted the vehicle on 12.08.2009 at Bandameedi Guduru and seized the lorry along with the rice on the ground that the DCM van driver is not having valid permit/licence or any document or weigh bill for the transportation of the said rice. 3) Having considered the submissions made by the learned counsel for the petitioner, this Court is of the view that this writ petition can be disposed of with a direction to the 1st respondent to complete the proceedings initiated under Section 6-A of Essential Commodities Act at the earliest, preferably within a period of eight (8) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. In the meanwhile, the seized rice of 45 quintals worth Rs.8,460/- shall not be sold. But, however, the D.C.M. van bearing No.AP 29 T 9155 shall be released in favour of the petitioner on his furnishing bank guarantee in a sum of Rs.8,500/- (Rupees Eight thousand and five hundred only). 4) With the above directions, the Writ Petition is disposed of at the stage of admission. There shall be no order as to costs. ________________________ GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA, J September 09, 2009 KSH