IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) THURSDAY, THE ELEVENTH DAY OF JUNE TWO THOUSAND AND NINE PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY WRIT PETITION No.11484 of 2009 Between: 1 C.Somasekhar Reddy, S/o.Eswara Reddy R/o.Maseedupuram, Mahanandi (M). 2 B.Bala Swamy Reddy, S/o.Innaih Reddy R/o.Pedda Kottala, Nandyal (M). 3 N.Laxmaiah, S/o.N.Karravula R/o.Maseedupuram, Mahanandi (M). 4 D.Linga Reddy, Venkata Reddy R/o.Mothukuru, Velugodu (M). 5 N.Mouliswara Reddy, S/o.Shiva Rami Reddy R/o.Maseedupuram, Mahanandi (M). 6 P.Harinath Reddy, S/o.Bhaskar Reddy R/o.Maseedupuram, Mahanandi (M). 7 C.Venkateswara Reddy, S/o.C.Eswara Reddy R/o.Maseedupuram, Mahanandi (M). 8 Y.Bala Venkata Reddy, S/o.Venkata Reddy R/o.Maseedupuram, Mahanandi (M). 9 Y.Samba Shiva Reddy, S/o.Y.Lakshmi Reddy R/o.Maseedupuram, Mahanandi (M). 10 P.Sreenivasa Reddy, S/o.Pulla Reddy R/o.Maseedupuram, Mahanandi (M). 11 C.Venkateswara Reddy, S/o.Obul Reddy R/o.D.Kottala, Rudhravaram (M). 12 C.Venkata Subba Reddy, S/o.Obula Reddy R/o.D.Kottala, Rudhravaram (M). 13 K.Venkata Reddy, S/o.Konda Reddy R/o.Venkatapuram, Sirivella (M). 14 O.Pratap Reddy, S/o.Singa Reddy R/o.Maseedupuram Mahanandi (M). 15 C.Sreenivasa Reddy, S/o.Eswara Reddy R/o.Maseedupuram Mahanandi (M). 16 P.V.Narayana Reddy, S/o.Venkata Rami Reddy R/o.D.Kottala, Rudhravaram (M). 17 T.Venkata Subba Reddy, S/o.Thirupal R/o.Vengalreddypeta, Bandiatmakur (M). 18 C.Naga Maddilety, S/o.Pedda Subbanna' R/o.Vankindinne, Sirivella (M). 19 D.Endusraju, S/o.Dastagiri R/o.Parnapallli, Bandiatmakur (M). 20 T.Venkata Ramana, S/o.Ranga Swamy R/o.Baojanam, Bandiatmakur (M). 21 C.Serba Reddy S/o.Vannur Reddy D.Kottala Rudravaram Mandal 22 C.Bhaskar Reddy S/o.Bala Venkata Reddy Maseedupuram Mahanandi Mandal 23 J.Sreenivasulu S/o.Seelanna Deebaguntla Gospadu Mandal 24 Panyam Eswaramma S/o.Subba Reddy Bilakalaguduru Gadivemula Mandal 25 S.Shiva Nagi Reddy s/o.Eswara Reddy Pedda Kottala Nandyal Mandal 26 N.Rama Krishna Reddy S/o.Veera Reddy Pedda Kottala Nandyal Mandal 27 M.Bala Shankar Reddy S/o.Pedda Bali Reddy Pedda Devalapuram Bandiatmakur Mandal 28 S.Venkata RAmi Reddy S/o.Papi Reddy Seetharamapuram Mahanandi Mandal 29 M.mallikarjuna Reddy S/o.M.C.Nagi Reddy Maseedupuram Mahanandi Mandal 30 M.Madhusudhan Reddy S/o.Govinda Reddy Alamur , Panyam mandal 31 B.Pulla Reddy S/o.PUlla Reddy Mothukalapalle Sirivella Mandal 32 S.Surya Prakash Reddy S/o.S.Venkata Reddy Venkatapuram Sirivella Mandal 33 M.Venkata REddy S/o.Raja Reddy Venkatapuram Sirivella Mandal 34 K.Chandra Sekhar Reddy S/o.Pedda Narsi Reddy Maseedupuram Mahanandi Mandal 35 O.Gangadhara Reddy S/o.O.Venkata Reddy Maseedupuram Mahanandi Mandal 36 S.Ganganna S/o.Chinna Ganganna Kondajuturu Panyam Mandal 37 J.Veera Narayana Reddy S/o.Nagi Reddy Kakanur Bandiatmakur Mandal 38 Y.Bala Swami Reddy S/o.Subba Reddy Mothukuru Velugodu Mandal 39 S.Venkateswara Reddy S/o.Thirupal Reddy Venkatapuram Sirivella Mandal 40 Y.Rama Murthi S/o.Subbaiah Koratamaddi Gadivemula Mandal 41 Y.Surya Narayana Reddy S/o.Venkata Rami Reddy maseedupuram Mahanandi mandal 42 C.Venkta Ramana S/o.Venkata Ramudu Thirupadu Gadivemula Mandal 43 P.Narasimha Reddy S/o.Bala Narsi Reddy D.Kottala Rudhravaram Mandal 44 P.Jaya Chandra S/o.Thikka Swamy Maseedupuram Mahanandi Mandal 45 T.Venkateswarlu S/o.Kondanna Vengal Reddypeta Bandiatmakur Mandal 46 Y.Srinivasa Reddy S/o.Venkata Ramana Reddy Koratamaddi Gadivemula Mandal 47 A.Sri Hari S/o.Pullaiah Gorukallau Panyam Mandal 48 R.Sathya Kumar S/o.Nagi Reddy Kondajuturu Panyam Mandal 49 M.Narasaiah S/o.Narasimhaiah Gorukallau Panyam Mandal 50 D.Naga Prathap Reddy S/o.Seshai Reddy Durvesi Gadivemual mandal 51 Y.Rama Rao, S/o.Raama Subbaiah Gorukallau Panyam Mandal 52 K.Shiva Kesavulu, S/o.Pullaiah R/o.Nandyal V & M. 53 E.Bharathi DEvi, S/o.E.Subba Rao R/o.Raithunagaram, Nandyala Mandal. 54 E.Subba Rao, S/o.Kondaiah R/o.Raithunagaram, Nandyala Mandal. 55 D.Thirupathi Reddy, S/o.Venkata Reddy R/o.Kothapalli, Nandyala Mandal. 56 E.Muniswamy, S/o.Ramana Durvesi, Gadivemula (M). 57 A.Chinna Naga Chandrudu, Pedda Muni Swamy Durvesi, Gadivemula Mandal. 58 B.Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, S/o.Bussa Reddy Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 59 C.V.C.Maheswara Reddy, S/o.Veera Reddy Deebaguntla, Gosapadu Mandal. 60 K.Venkata Rami Reddy, S/o.Ramachandra Reddy Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 61 U.Eswara Reddy, S/o.Narasimha Reddy Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 62 G.Rama Subbaiah, S//o.G.C.Ramaiah Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 63 A.Raja Rekhar Reddy, S/o.Pedda Chinna Reddy Vengal Reddy Peta Bandi Atmakur Mandal. 64 Z.Bala Subaiah, S/o.Pedda Pullaiah R/o.Nandyal V & M. 65 P.Venkata Ramana REddy S/o.Govinda Reddy Durvesi, Gadivemula (M). 66 M.Pedda Veeranna, S/o.Chinna Gurumurthy R/o.Machinenipalli, Rudravaram Mandal. 67 S.Maheswara Reddy, S/o.Rami Reddy R/o.Koratamaddi, Gudivemula Mandal. 68 D.Rama Chandra Reddy, S/o.D.C.Seela Reddy B.Kodur, Bandi Atmakur Mandal. 69 P.Chandra Sekhar Reddy, S/o.Vengal Reddy Durvesi. 70 A.Sreenivasa Rao, S/o.Rama Rao Rajangaram, Sirivella Mandal 71 K.Srinivasulu, S/o.K.Chinna Pullanna B.Kodur, Bandi Atmakur Mandal. 72 C.Laxmi Reddy, S/o.Chinna Veera Reddy R/o.Deebaguntla, Gosipadu Mandal. 73 A.Sheshi Reddy, S/o.Subba Reddy Pandurangapuram, Nandyal Mandal. 74 D.Shiva Shankar, S/o.Mahanandi Thammadapalli, Mahanandi Mandal. 75 O.Venkata Reddy, S/o.Rami Reddy Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 76 V.Shivamma, S/o.Venkateswara Reddy Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 77 J.Janardan, S/o.Venkateswarlu R/o.Deebaguntla, Gosipadu Mandal. 78 K.Rami Reddy, S/o.Pedda Narsi Reddy Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 79 N.Chinna Yella Subbadu, S/o.Yellappa Durvesi, Gadivemula (M). 80 A.Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, S/o.Rami Reddy Durvesi, Gadivemula (M). 81 D.Veeranna, S/o.Balakasim Saibaba Nagar, Nandyal Mandal. 82 V.Narasimha Reddy, S/o.V.Eswara Reddy Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 83 V.Eswar Reddy, S/o.Shiva Reddy Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 84 O.Hussain Basha, S/o.Hussainaiah Kanalapalli, Nandyal Mandal. 85 A.Subba Reddy, S/o.Punna Reddy Pandurangapuram, Nandyal Mandal. 86 T.Chinna Kondanna, S/o.Pedda Venkataiah Vengal Reddy Peta Bandi Atmakur Mandal. 87 V.Sridhar Reddy, S/o.Shiva Reddy R/o.Deebaguntla, Gosipadu Mandal. 88 V.Ramanath Reddy, S/o.Shiva Reddy R/o.Deebaguntla, Gosipadu Mandal. 89 N.Pedda Hanumanth, S/o.Anjanappa Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 90 M.Srinivasulu, S/o.Chinna Venkatanna Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 91 Y.Peddaiah, S/o.Lingamaih Chabolu, Nandyal Mandal. 92 P.Srinivasa Rao, S/o.Appa Rao Gandhi Nagar, Sirivella Mandal 93 P.Bugga Reddy, S/o.Bali Reddy Ayyaluru, Nandyal Mandal. 94 K.M.Jaya Reddy, S/o.Ramachandra Reddy Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 95 T.C.Annaiah, S/o.T.P.Pulla Reddy Kanala, Nandyal Mandal. 96 M.Visweswara Reddy, S/o.Bogeswara Reddy Nandyal. 97 B.Maheswaramma, S/o.Pratap Reddy Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 98 G.Anantha Viswanatha Reddy, S/o.Mahanandi Reddy Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 99 S.Mouliswara Reddy, S/o.Peddi Reddy Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 100 B.Chinna Venkateswarlu, S/o.Naganna Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 101 S.Jamal Reddy, S/o.Pedda Bala Hussain Reddy Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 102 S.Narayana, S/o.Narasimhudu Thammadapalli, Mahanandi Mandal. 103 Y.Srinivas Reddy, S/o.Pulla Reddy Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 104 Y.Sheshibhushan Reddy, S/o.Govinda Reddy Chapirevula, Nandyal Mandal. 105 Y.Venkata Rami Reddy, S/o.Venkata Reddy Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 106 N.Chenchulanna, W/o.Busanna Gorukallau Panyam Mandal 107 N.Ranganna, S/o.Busanna Gorukallau Panyam Mandal 108 M.Muganna, S/oHussainaiah Gorukallau Panyam Mandal 109 B.Bali Reddy, S/o.Ankala Reddy Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 110 P.Shiva Gopal, S/o.Balanna Seetharamanpuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 111 Y.Venkateswara Reddy, S/o.Narapu Reddy Maseedupuram, Mahanandi Mandal. 112 G.Samba Shiva Rao, S/o.Srihari Rao Allinagaram, Mahanandi Mandal. 113 Zakka Surendranath, S/o.Bala Subbaiah Nandyal V & M. 114 C.Balaswamy S/o.Pakkiraiah Bandi Atmakur 115 M.Chandra Sekhar Reddy S/o.Shiva Reddy Paranapalli,Bandi Atmakur mandal 116 M.Shiva nagi Reddy S/o.Shiva Reddy R/o.Parnapalli,Bandi Atmakur 117 C.Anakal Reddy S/o.Bali Reddy Nehru Nagar Gospadu Mandal 118 U.V.Konda Reddy S/o.Bakkri Reddy Nehru nagar Gospadu mandal 119 P.Mahanandi Reddy S/o.Shiva Reddy Ernapadu Bandi Atmakur 120 K.Balaiah S/o.Eswaranarayana Yellavattal Rudravaram Mandal 121 K.Sekhar S/o.Eswaraiah Yellevattal Rudravaram Mandal 122 G.Venkata Ramana S/o.Pedda Ramudu Seetharampuram Mahanandi Mandal 123 P.laxmi Reddy S/o.pedda Pulla Reddy D.Kottala Rudravaram Mandal 124 T.P.Gopal S/o.Sanjeevarayudu Durvesi Gadivemula Mandal 125 K.Sivalingeswara Reddy S/o.Chinna Narasi Reddy Maseedupuram Mahanandi Mandal 126 P.mouliswara reddy s/o.pulla reddy maseedupuram mahanandi mandal 127 T.Balaggi S/o.thimmaiah Maseedupuram Mahanandi mandal 128 V.laxmi Reddy S/o.Pulla Reddy Seetharamapuram Mahanandi Mandal 129 N.Rama Krishnaiah S/o.Sankaraiah Vaddugandla Panyam Mandal 130 J.Prasad s/o.Yellasubbaiah LIngapuram bandi Atmakur Mandal 131 B.Chinna Venakta Subbaiah S/o.B.V.Sheshaiah Gopavaram Mahanandi mandal 132 J.Sreenivasulu S/o.POli setty Gangavaram Sirivella Mandal 133 C.Chandra Sekhar Reddy S/o.Ankal Reddy Jillella Gospadu Mandal 134 B.Subramanyam S/o.Maddilety T.Lingamdinne Rudravaravaram Mandal 135 P.Srichenndu S/o.Yerranna Maseedupuram Mahanandi Mandal 136 S.Subbaiah S/o.Migenna Maseedupuram Mahanandi mandal 137 K.Venugopal S/o.Thimmaiah Seetharamapuram Mahanandi Mandal 138 K.Poli Reddy S/o.Rama KRishna Reddy Seetharamapuram Mahanandi Mandal 139 Y.Mallikarjuna S/o.Y.N.Maddilety Thammadapalli Mahanandi Mandal 140 C.Chinna Subba Reddy S/o.Pulla Reddy D.Kottala Rudravaram mandal 141 E.Narayan Reddy S/o.Pedda Nagi Reddy D.Kottala Rudravaram mandal 142 C.Narasi Reddy S/o.Vannur Reddy D.Kottala Rudravaram mandal 143 U.Anil Reddy S/o.Ranga Reddy Ayyaluru Nandyala mandal 144 Patnam Rama krishna S/o.Bala Pullanna Somayajulapalli Bandi Atmakur Mandal 145 B.Subba Rao S/o.Venkata Swamy Raythunagaram Nandyal mandal 146 P.Chandra Sekhar S/o.Pedda Subramanyam Kanala Nandyal mandal 147 K.Prathap Reddy S/o.Venkata Reddy Chennur Sirivella Mandal 148 Gani Shivanna S/o.Guntanna Seetharamapuram Mahanandi Mandal 149 O.Venkta Raman S/o.Chennaiah abbipuram Mahanandi Mandal 150 P.Balaiah S/o.Kunti Chennappa Mothukulpalli Sirivel Mandal 151 P.Shiva Nandikesva Reddy S/o.Swara REddy Seetha Ramapuram Mahanandi Mandal 152 B.Chenna Reddy S/o.Chinna Chenna Reddy A.Kodur Bandi Atmakur Mandal \ 153 S.Rami Reddy S/o.Gurreddy Bhimavaram Nandyal Mandal 154 P.Vijaya Sekhar Reddy S/o.Narayana Reddy H.S.Kottala Nandyal Mandal 155 P. Vijaya Laxmi Reddy S/o.Vijaya Sekhar Reddy H.S.Kottala Nandyal Mandal 156 U.Suresh Kumar S/o.Hussanapp Nandyal village & Mandal 157 B.Mahanandi S/o.Eswaraiah Ramapuram Bandi Atmakur Mandal 158 B.Narayana S/o.Yeswaraaiah Ramapuram Bandi Atmakur Mandal 159 S.Chandra Sekhar Reddy S/o.Suryanarayana Reddy Alamuru Panyam Mandal 160 B.V.Venugopal Reddy S/o.Dasta Giri Reddy Mothukulapalli Sirivella Mandal 161 S.Sudhakar Reddy s/o.Balanagi Reddy Chennur Sirivella Mandal 162 b.Venkata Ramaiah S/o.Marena Kotapadu Gadivemula Mandal 163 B.P.Venkata Subba Reddy S/o,. Chinna Jangam Reddy A.Kodur Bandi Atmakur 164 Komma Bhaskar Reddy S/o.Pedda Nagi Reddy Thammadapalli Mahanandi Mandal 165 P.Obanna S/o.Obulesu Ramapuram Bandi Atmakur Mandal 166 N.Maheswara Reddy s/o.Pedda Govinda Reddy maseedupuram Mahanandi Mandal 167 A.Maheswara Reddy S/o.Rami Reddy Govindapalli Sirivella Mandal 168 Y.Nagi Reddy S/o.Sheshi Reddy Yarraguntla Bandi Atmakur Mandal 169 M.Padmavathamma S/o.Chinna Veeranna Machinenipalli Rudravaram 170 C.Venkata Subba Reddy S/o.Obul Reddy D.Kottala Rudravaram 171 S.Kausalyammanarayana S/o.Settynoonepalli Mahanandi Mandal 172 D.Venkta Subba Reddy S/o.Subbarayudu Seetharamapuram Mahanandi Mandal 173 V.Rama Rao S/o.Bapaiah Sambavaram 174 C.Lakshmi Maddiah S/o.Chinna Maddilety Gorukallau Panyam mandal 175 U.Muni Swamy S/o.Yerakalanna Durvesi Gadivemula Mandal 176 D.Darveshimiya S/o.Hussain Saheb Gorukallu Panyammandal 177 K.Bala Guru Prasad S/o.Bala Guruvaiah Idamadaka Duvurru Mandal,Kadapa 178 C.Naga Useni S/o.Chinna Maddiliety Gorukallu Panyam Mandal 179 L.Haroon Rasheed S/o.Hussain Saheb Gorukallu Panyam Mandal 180 V.Srinivasa Rao S/o.Rama Rao Sambavaram Gopau Mandal 181 P.Subbaiah S/o.Somaiah Kotapadu Sirivella Mandal 182 P.Veera badrudu S/o.Veeranna Machinenepalli Rudravaram mandal 183 M.Bhaskar S/o.Veeranna Machinenepalli 184 K.Prathap Reddy S/o.k.C.Narayana Reddy Banid Atmakur 185 G.Venkateswarlu s/o.Nagaiah Yellavathala 186 E.Pullaiah S/o.Chinna Chennappa Maseedupuram 187 D.Siddaiah s/o.Moulali Koratamaddi 188 S.Rami Reddy S/o.Vekata Subba Reddy Koratamaddi 189 B.Venkateswarlu S/o.Venkataiah Yallavathula 190 S.Shankar Reddy S/o.Subba Reddy Chinna Kambaluru 191 D.Sekhar S/o.Venkata Swamy Boyalakuntla 192 N.Ananda Rao S/o.Dubbanna Maseedupuram village Mahanandi Mandal 193 B.Pullaiah S/o.thirupathaiah Nandyal 194 A.Gopal Reddy S/o.Veera Reddy G.Lingapuram, Bandi Atmakur Mandal 195 S.krishna Murthy S/o.Venkta Sheshaiah Sirivella village & Mandal 196 T.Chinna Avulanna S/o.Chinna Nagappa Ayyaluru,Nandyal All belong to Kurnool District ..... PETITIONERS AND 1 Government of Andhra Pradesh, rep.by its Secretary Civil Supplies Department, Secretariat Building Hyderabad 2 The District Collector, Kurnool District 3 The Revenue Divisional Officer, Nandyal, Kurnool District 4 The Deputy Tahisildhar (C.S), Nandyal Kurnool District 5 S.S.V.RUral Farmers Ware House,Ayyalurimetta Nandyal, Kurnool District 6 The Tahasildar,Nandyal, Kurnool District .....RESPONDENTS Counsel for the Petitioners:MR. T.BALI REDDY ASSISTED BY MR.P.VENGALA REDDY Counsel for Respondent Nos.1 to 4:AGP FOR CIVIL SUPPLIES The Court made the following: ORDER: This writ petition is filed for a writ of mandamus to declare the seizure of 69,070.50 quintals of paddy under panchanama dated 22.05.2009, as illegal. Heard Sri T.Bali Reddy, learned Senior Counsel for the petitioners, and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Civil Supplies for respondent Nos.1 to 4. Respondent No.5 - Ware House was inspected by respondent No.4 – Deputy Tahsildar, Civil Supplies, Nandyal, in the presence of certain mediators, and a prima facie conclusion was arrived to the effect that certain traders have hoarded huge stocks of paddy benami in the names of agriculturists. Therefore, under the impugned panchanama, the stocks were seized. The petitioners herein and various other persons, who claim to be agriculturists and have stored their produce in respondent No.5 - Ware House, approached respondent No.2 with an application to release the seized stocks. By order, dated 04.06.2009, respondent No.2 dismissed the said application. In his order, respondent No.2 observed that the preliminary enquiry report submitted by the subordinate Officers revealed that in most of the cases either the quantity stored is much higher than the actual productivity of the land or the person, in whose name the stock has been stored, is not having any land for cultivation and that these factors give rise to his suspicion that the paddy stocks are being procured by some agent or some businessmen from the ryots and stocked in respondent No.5 - Ware House in their names. Respondent No.2 also referred to the ground reality regarding the soaring prices of the old Sona Masuri rice from Rs.18/- and Rs.19/- to Rs.34/- and Rs.35/- and new Sona Masuri rice from Rs.17/- and Rs.18/- to Rs.26/- and Rs.28/-. On this premise, respondent No.2 directed interim disposal of the seized paddy through public auction by the Tahsildar, Nandyal. At the hearing, the learned Senior Counsel for the petitioners submitted that respondent No.2 has failed to examine the material produced by each of the owners of the seized paddy. The learned Senior Counsel further submitted that the pass books, the title deeds and the loans obtained by the owners of the stocks from the banks for raising the crop etc., would clearly reveal that the stocks belong to agriculturists and not traders and that if respondent No.2 spared proper time and examined the material produced by the petitioners and others, he would not have ordered for sale of the seized stock. The learned senior Counsel placed reliance on a Division Bench Judgment of this Court reported in A.Siva Reddy and others vs. District Collector, Kurnool and others[1]. I have heard the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Civil Supplies and carefully perused the record. The fact that certain unscrupulous traders are creating artificial demand of rice in the market, leading to phenomenal rise in market prices of rice, is undeniable. This Court, certainly, appreciates the concern of respondent No.2 expressed in the impugned order, in this regard. However, before arriving at a conclusion that the seized stock is hoarded by the traders, it is necessary for respondent No.2 to carefully examine the material submitted by the persons, who claim to be the owners of the stocks. As noted supra, the petitioners claim to be agriculturists and that a part of the seized stock belongs to them. If genuine agriculturists have stored the food grains produced by them in their lands, there can be no justification for either seizure or sale of the stocks. In A.Siva Reddy and others vs. District Collector, Kurnool and others (1 supra), a Division Bench of this Court set aside similar Order, by which redgram was directed to be sold, and gave the following directions to the District Collector. “In view of the fact that the Collector did not hear the concerned persons and without hearing them, came to the conclusion that the Red Gram belonged to “unknown traders and benami farmers”, we direct the Collector to give notice to the persons whose names were found as owners of the Red gram at the time when the red Gram had been seized and after making a preliminary/summary enquiry, the Collector may take a fresh decision. The enquiry shall be made within six weeks from today and after hearing the concerned persons appropriate order be passed by the Collector. Needless to say that the stock which is not owned by the persons named in the record of the warehouseman and which has not been explained by the warehouseman can be dealt with in accordance with law by the Collector.” In the instant case, since the petitioners have come out with an identical plea that they are not the benamidars for traders and that they are the genuine agriculturists, who stored the food grains in the warehouse, the impugned order is set aside. The petitioners are permitted to produce all the necessary material before respondent No.2 to prove that they are agriculturists and that the paddy seized was produced by them in their agricultural lands. Respondent No.2 shall give an opportunity of personal hearing to the petitioners. The petitioners shall appear before respondent No.2 in person on 22.06.2009. Respondent No.2 shall examine the material placed by the petitioners before him and pass appropriate speaking order after thoroughly examining the same. Till such an order is passed, the seized stock shall not be sold. The writ petition is accordingly, disposed of. As a sequel to disposal of the main petition, WPMP.No.14785 of 2009 filed by the petitioners for interim relief is disposed of as infructuous. C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY, J 11th JUNE, 2009. kvni [1] 2008 (6) ALT 145