HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE R. SUBHASH REDDY WRIT PETITION No.33307 of 2010 Date: 29.12.2010 Between : Smt. B.Rahamthunnisa. ….Petitioner And The State of Andhra Pradesh, rep. by its Principal Secretary, Department of Forest & others. ….Respondents HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE R. SUBHASH REDDY WRIT PETITION No.33307 of 2010 ORDER : In this writ petition, the petitioner seeks directions by way f Mandamus, declaring the order passed by the 2nd respondent/ Sub-Divisional Forest Officer in UDOR No.2/2010-11/KDR/PKD, dated 20.11.2010, rejecting the claim of the petitioner for release of lorry bearing No.AP- 03-X-7155, as illegal and arbitrary. The petitioner claims that she is the owner of the lorry bearing No.AP-03-X-7155. The said lorry was seized by the forest officials on the ground that it was being used for illegal transportation of 27 red sandal logs on 10th of August 2010. Pursuant to the seizure, the matter is reported to the authorized officer-cum-Sub-Divisional Forest Officer, Penugonda, who is the authority under the A.P.Forest Act, 1967. The petitioner has filed a representation before the said authority, seeking for interim release of vehicle on third party security, till disposal of the case. The request of the petitioner is rejected, by the impugned order. It is the case of the petitioner that the lorry was being used without her knowledge. The said plea of the petitioner was not accepted by the authorized officer, who recorded a finding that such a plea is untrustworthy. Though it is submitted by the learned counsel for petitioner that she is ready to give third party security for release of vehicle, in view of the serious allegations made against the petitioner that the vehicle was being used for transportation of 27 numbers of red sandal logs, and in view of the findings recorded by the authorized officer, I do not find any ground to entertain this writ petition. However, as it is stated that the confiscation proceedings are pending, I deem it appropriate to dispose of this writ petition with a direction to the respondents to dispose of the confiscation proceedings as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Subject to the above direction, the writ petition is disposed of. No order as to costs. _____________________ R.SUBHASH REDDY, J 29th December 2010 N.B: Issue C.C. in one week. (b/o) ajr