IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.13510 of 2011 1. Mukesh Kumar Singh @ Mukesh Kumar S/O Rudal Prasad R/O Vill.- Budhiya, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Ditt.- Gopalganj 2. Shyam Bihari Shukla S/O Shiv Mohan Shukla R/O Vill.- Budhiya, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Ditt.- Gopalganj 3. Suresh Singh @ Suresh Narayan Singh S/O Nand Kumar Singh R/O Vill.- Mangoalpur, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 4. Krishna Singh S/O Kamal Singh R/O Vill.- Mangoalpur, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 5. Gita Devi W/O Devendra Singh R/O Vill.- Mangoalpur, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 6. Sunita Devi W/O Navin Singh R/O Vill.- Mangoalpur, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 7. Shiv Kumar Srivastava S/O Vindhyachal Srivastava R/O Vill.- Surhinya, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 8. Punam Kumari D/O Jai Prakash Singh R/O Vill.- Tamilpur, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 9. Uttam Sah @ Utim Prasad S/O Birendra Sah R/O Vill.- Sidhwalia, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 10. Sima Devi W/O Shivanand Pandey R/O Vill.- Budhsi, P.S.- Mohammadpur, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 11. Ritu Singh D/O Shiv Shankar Singh R/O Vill.- Budhsi, P.S.- Mohammadpur, Distt.- Gopalganj 12. Mukesh Kumar Sharma S/O Shivji Sharma R/O Vill.- Khajuria, P..S- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 13. Amir Ahmad Khan S/O Rumali Mian R/O Vill.- Bishunpura, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 14. Nirmala Devi W/O Madan Pandey R/O Vill.- Budhanya, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 15. Shivnath Singh S/O Nirekhan Singh R/O Vill.- Mangoalpur, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 16. Mamta Kumari D/O Bharat Singh R/O Vill.- Kabirpur, P.S.- Mohammadpur, Distt.- Gopalganj 17. Rameshwar Singh S/O Laxman Singh R/O Vill.- Kabirpur, P.S.- Mohammadpur, Distt.- Gopalganj 18. Harendra Sharma S/O Dawarika Sharma R/O Vill And P.S.- Mohammadpur, Distt.- Gopalganj 19. Birendra Prasad S/O Bankelal Prasad R/O Vill.- Budhiya, P.S.- Dishwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 20. Radha Kant Prasad S/O Sampat Prasad R/O Vill And P.S.- Mohammadpur, Distt.- Gopalganj 21. Jahida Khatoon W/O M.Sattar R/O Vill.- Budhiya, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj 22. Shyam Bahadur Singh S/O Ramanand Singh R/O Vill.- Kabirpur, P.S.- Mohammadpur, Ditt.- Gopalganj 23. Kishundev Pandey S/O Shiv Nandan Pandey R/O Vill And P.S.- Mohammadpur, Distt.- Gopalganj. Versus 1. The State Of Bihar Through The Collector, Gopalganj 2. The Sub-Divisional Officer, Gopalganj 2 3. The Block Supply Officer, Sidhwalia, Gopalganj 4. A.S.I., Sidhwalia, P.S.- Sidhwalia, Distt.- Gopalganj ---------------------------------- 2. 24.08.2011. Petitioners are bona fide Cooking gas (LPG) consumers of Amit Gas Agency (Bharat Gas), at Barauli, Gopalganj having their respective Domestic consumers cards. As the Gas agency is 20 kilometers away from the petitioners’ residence/village, and there is no facility of door to door supply of cylinders, they use to flock their refilling cylinders in the shade of one Ismail Ansari to be carried to the godown by a private vehicle. The petitioners further submit that on 25.5.2008 on account of heavy rain, the pick up vehicle could not come for lifting the cylinders and next day police raided the premises and seized all the cylinders for which Sidhwalia Police Station Case No. 50 of 2008 was also instituted under section 414 I.P.C. and section 7 of the E.C.Act. The petitioners submit that the then Collector, Gopalganj vide his order dated 22.12.2008 directed for release of empty/filled up cylinders on depositing a sum of Rs.1250/- & Rs.1593/- respectively per cylinder. In the meantime, the Collector who passed order of 22.12.2008 was transferred and the new Collector joined in his place. The petitioners submit that the successor Collector refused to accept the bail bond and passed order confiscating the cylinders. Thereafter order under section 6A of the E.C.Act was passed for sale of the 45 seized cylinders. The petitioners state that the successor Collector 3 ought to have honoured the release order passed by the predecessor Collector. Petitioners further submit that while releasing the cylinders, the then Collector noticed that the petitioners are bona fide consumers of LPG. In view of the facts and circumstances of the case, I direct that the cylinders be not auctioned sold and be released to the petitioners on furnishing cash sureties as indicated in the earlier order dated 22.12.2008, which would be subject to result of criminal prosecution. The writ petition is thus allowed. Shashi. (Samarendra Pratap Singh, J.)