APHC010308882014 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3333] SATURDAY,THE THIRTIETH DAY OF AUGUST TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SMT JUSTICE V.SUJATHA WRIT PETITION NO: 14493/2014 Between: 1. VEMAREDDY SUBBAMMA,, W/O. CHINNAIAH, AGED 50 YEARS, R/O. DUMPALAGATTU VILLAGE, KHAJIPET MANDAL, KADAPA DISTRICT. 2. JANGAMREDDY VEERA REDDY,, S/O. NADIPI VEERA REDDY, AGED 45 YEARS, R/O. DUMPALAGATTU VILLAGE, KHAJIPET MANDAL, KADAPA DISTRICT. 3. DWARAKACHERLA PEDDA VENKATA SWAMY REDDY,, S/O.CHINNA VENKATA REDDY, AGED 60 YEARS, R/O. BEECHUVARIPALLI VILLAGE, KHAJIPET MANDAL, KADAPA DISTRICT. 4. GANGIREDDY CHANDRASEKHAR REDDY,, S/O. NADIPI CHENNA REDDY, AGED 40 YEARS, R/O. BEECHUVARIPALLI VILLAGE, KHAJIPET MANDAL, KADAPA DISTRICT. 5. GARLADINNE VENKATA SUBBAMMA,, W/O. KONDAIAH, AGED 60 YEARS, R/O. PATTURU VILLAGE, KHAJIPETA MANDAL, KADAPA DISTRICT. 6. CHANDA VENKATARAMANA REDDY,, S/O. VENKATA REDDY, AGED 55 YEARS, R/O.YATURU VILLAGE, KHAJIPETA MANDAL, KADAPA DISTRICT. 7. DWARAKACHERLA VENKATA RAMANAMMA,, W/O.VENKATASWAMY REDDY, AGED 60 YEARS, R/O. K.SUNKESULA VILLAGE, KHAJIPETA MANDAL, KADAPA DISTRICT. 2 8. ERAGAMREDDY UMAMAHESWARI DEVI,, W/O. VENKATASWAMY REDDY, AGED 40 YEARS, R/O. DUMPALAGATTU VILLAGE, KHAJIPETA MANDAL, KADAPA DISTRICT. 9. ERAGAMREDDY ESWAR REDDY,, S/O. PEDDA NAGI REDDY, AGED 45 YEARS, R/O. PULLURU VILLAGE, KHAJIPETA MANDAL, KADAPA DISTRICT. ...PETITIONER(S) AND 1. THE GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND CIVIL SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, SECRETARIAT, HYDERABAD. 2. THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR, Y.S.R. KADAPA, Y.S.R. KADAPA DISTRICT. 3. THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, VIGILANCE & ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT, Y.S.R. KADAPA, Y.S.R. KADAPA DISTRICT. 4. THE TAHSILDAR, KHAJIPETA, Y.S.R. KADAPA DISTRICT ...RESPONDENT(S): Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased to to issue a writ, order or direction, more particularly one in nature of Writ of Mandamus challenging the action of the 2nd respondent in not releasing the 463.75 of quintals of SonaMasoori rice, 159.25 quintals of paddy, 1 quintal of broken rice and 1 quintal of Rice Bran in favour of the petitioners though the petitioners are not contravened provision of any Act or Rules is illegal and arbitrary and consequently restrain the respondents from initiating proceedings under 6-A of the Act in so far as stocks of 463.75 of quintals of SonaMasoori rice, 159.25 quintals of paddy, 1 quintal of broken rice and 1 quintal of Rice Bran seized on 22.04.2014 IA NO: 1 OF 2014(WVMP 1958 OF 2014 Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased to vacate the interim orders granted in WPMP.No.18002 of 2014 in WP.No.14493 of 2014 dt.15-05-2014 and pass. 3 IA NO: 2 OF 2014(WPMP 18002 OF 2014 Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased to direct the respondents to forthwith release the stock of 463.75 of quintals of SonaMasoori rice, 159.25 quintals of paddy, 1 quintal of broken rice and 1 quintal of Rice Bran in favour of the petitioners, which was seized under cover of panchanama Dt.22.04.2014, pending disposal of the writ petition Counsel for the Petitioner(S): 1. N ASWARTHA NARAYANA Counsel for the Respondent(S): 1. GP FOR HOME 2. GP FOR CIVIL SUPPLIES (AP) The Court made the following: 4 HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE V.SUJATHA WRIT PETITION No.14493 of 2014 ORDER: The present Writ Petition came to be filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking the following relief:- “….to issue a writ, order or direction, more particularly one in nature of Writ of Mandamus challenging the action of the 2nd respondent in not releasing the 463.75 of quintals of SonaMasoori rice, 159.25 quintals of paddy, 1 quintal of broken rice and 1 quintal of Rice Bran in favour of the petitioners though the petitioners are not contravened provision of any Act or Rules is illegal and arbitrary and consequently restrain the respondents from initiating proceedings under 6-A of the Act in so far as stocks of 463.75 of quintals of SonaMasoori rice, 159.25 quintals of paddy, 1 quintal of broken rice and 1 quintal of Rice Bran seized on 22.04.2014….” 2. The petitioners herein are ryoths and have been eking out their livelihood by doing agriculture and are having lands in different villages i.e. Dumpalagattu village and Beechuvaripalli village, Khajipeta mandal, Y.S.R. Kadapa district. In their fields, the petitioners have raised paddy and rice crops, but due to low market price, the petitioners kept the said rice and paddy in their houses with an intention to sell them whenever the prices are high. As there was no price hike of the said crops, the entire rice and paddy was brought to a mill belonging to one V.S. Rahamathulla, Khajipeta for hulling purpose and to sell it thereafter. 3. While the matter stood thus, on 22.04.2014, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vigilance and Enforcement department, 4th respondent and Mandal Revenue inspector have inspected the aforesaid mill belonging to the said V.S. Rahamathulla and seized 463.75 quintals of Sona Masoori rice, 159.25 quintals 5 of paddy, 1 quintal of broken rice and 1 quintal of rice bran. Though the owner of the mill informed the respondent officials that the entire stock belongs to the petitioners herein, the 3rd and 4th respondents, without considering the same, seized the aforesaid stock by conducting a panchanama. On 03.05.2014, the petitioners submitted an application to the 2nd respondent contending that the seized stock belongs to them and that it does not fall under Essential Commodities Act and Control, 2008. Without considering the same, the respondent officials are trying to sell the seized stock as per the provisions of Essential Commodities Act, aggrieved by which, the petitioners have filed the present writ petition. 4. When the writ petition came up for hearing on 15.05.2014, this Court was pleased to pass an interim order directing the respondents to forthwith release the stock of 463.75 quintals of Sona Masoori rice, 159.25 quintals of paddy, 1 quintal of broken rice and 1 quintal of rice bran in favour of the petitioners, pending disposal of the present petition. 5. Heard Sri. N. Aswartha Narayana, learned counsel for the petitioners and learned Assistant Government Pleader for Civil Supplies. 6. Today when the writ petition came up for hearing, learned Assistant Government Pleader has produced a copy of instructions of the Joint Collector, YSR District, Kadapa, dated 18.08.2025 wherein it is stated that pursuant to the interim order passed by this Court on 15.05.2014, the seized stock was released to the petitioners herein. It is further stated that though the 8th petitioner herein has submitted a complaint to the Mandal Revenue Inspector that she did not receive her part of the seized stock, the Mandal Revenue Inspector, Khajipet 6 found that no stocks were available with the custodian rice mill and that the same were released to the 8th petitioner herein with her consent. 7. In view of the fact that the stocks seized by the respondent authorities was released to the petitioners herein pursuant to the interim orders passed by this Court, this Court feels that no further orders would be necessary in the present writ petition. 8. Accordingly, this writ petition is closed. There shall be no order as to costs. As a sequel, miscellaneous applications, pending, if any, shall also stand closed. ____________________ USTICE V.SUJATHA Date :30.08.2025. Gss