Rathava Rameshbhai Bachubhai ... vs State Of Gujarat
2023 Latest Caselaw 2788 Guj

     C/SCA/5714/2023                                   ORDER DATED: 06/04/2023




           IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

             R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 5714 of 2023
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 RATHAVA RAMESHBHAI BACHUBHAI THROUGH HIS POA PARAGBHAI
                PARSHOTTAMBHAI KANANI
                          Versus
                    STATE OF GUJARAT
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Appearance:
MR JAY N SHAH(10668) for the Petitioner(s) No. 1
MR. TRUPESH KATHIRIYA, AGP for the Respondent(s) No. 1
NOTICE SERVED BY DS for the Respondent(s) No. 2,3
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 CORAM:HONOURABLE MS. JUSTICE VAIBHAVI D. NANAVATI

                              Date : 06/04/2023

                               ORAL ORDER

1. With the consent of the learned advocates appearing for the respective parties, the captioned writ petition is taken up for final hearing.

2. Issue Rule, returnable forthwith. Mr. Trupesh Kathiriya, the learned Assistant Government Pleader waives service of notice of Rule on behalf of the respondent- State.

3. By way of this petition under Article-226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner has prayed for the following relief:

"(a) This Hon'ble Court may be pleased to admit and allow this petition;

(b) This Hon'ble Court may be pleased to issue

C/SCA/5714/2023 ORDER DATED: 06/04/2023

appropriate writ, order or direction for quashing and setting aside the action of the respondent of seizing the vehicle at ANNEXURE-B and release the TATA TRUCK GJ-17-Y-2844 of the ownership of the petitioner, which is seized by the respondent, on such terms and conditions as this Hon'ble Court may deem think fit;

(c) This Hon'ble Court may be pleased to issue appropriate writ, order or direction for releasing the TATA TRUCK GJ-17-Y-2844 of the ownership of the petitioner, which is seized by the respondents and at present the case is pending with the respondent, on such terms and conditions as this Hon'ble Court may deem think fit;

(d) Pending admission and final disposal of this petition, Your Lordships may direct the respondent not to file any Criminal Complaint or FIR against the present petitioner and his vehicle being TATA TRUCK GJ-17-Y-2844 and be pleased to stay the implementation and operation of the Seizure memo dated 15.2.2023 issued by the respondent No.2 at Annexure-B and the vehicle being TATA TRUCK GJ-17- Y-2844 of the ownership of the petitioner be released;

(d) Grant such other and further relief as thought fit in the interest of justice."

4. It is the case of the petitioner that, the petitioner is the owner of the vehicle i.e. TATA TRUCK GJ-17-Y-2844 (hereinafter referred to as 'the vehicle in question'). On 15.2.2023, the present vehicle while going near the

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Mahijda Soham Industries, was stopped on the road by the respondent No.2 along with other trucks in queue. The vehicle driver usually goes to the said area where there are simple sand leases in nearby vicinity. They inspect the said quality of mineral and after due verification, the royalty pass is issued and then they load the mineral. The respondent No.2 seized the said vehicle for transporting mineral without valid royalty. The said vehicle was seized by the office of the respondent No.2 and was issued a Seizure memo and kept in the custody of the respondent No.3. The petitioner had given several requests to release his vehicle before the respondent No.2 but his request is not responded. No notice has been given to the petitioner till date for the seizure of the vehicle and has yet not been communicated under which provisions of the Act the said vehicle is detained and what kind of offence has been committed by the petitioner.

5. Mr. Jay Shah, learned advocate for the petitioner has submitted that as is clear from the seizure memo, the same was issued on 15.2.2023; however, no steps worth the name have been initiated by the respondent, much less filing the F.I.R. as provided under sub-clause (ii) of sub- clause (b) of sub-Rule (2) of Rule 12 of the Gujarat Mineral (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as the "Rules of 2017"). It is submitted that in absence of any

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F.I.R. registered beyond the specified period, the action of the respondent authority seizing the vehicle, is illegal and against the principles laid down by this Court in the case of Nathubhai Jinabhai Gamara v. State of Gujarat, rendered in Special Civil Application No.9203 of 2020. It is submitted that this Court has categorically held and observed that if the complaint is not registered as envisaged under sub-clause (ii) of sub-clause (b) of sub- Rule (2) of Rule 12 of the Rules of 2017, in absence of the complaint, the competent authority will have no option but to release the seized vehicle without insisting for any bank guarantee. Therefore, the principles laid down by this Court in the case of Nathubhai Jinabhai Gamara v. State of Gujarat (supra) applies to the facts of the present case. It is therefore urged that the petition deserves to be allowed directing the respondent authorities to release the vehicle.

5.1 It is urged that the petition be entertained only for the limited purpose of release of the vehicle.

6. On the other hand, the learned Assistant Government Pleader has fairly conceded that after the issuance of the seizure memo, no orders have been passed considering the pendency of the writ petition. It is also conceded that no First Information Report has been registered as provided under the provisions of Rules of

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2017.

7. Heard the learned advocates appearing for the respective parties.

8. It is undisputed that seizure memo was issued on 15.2.2023. It is not disputed rather conceded that after the period of 45 days, no First Information Report has been registered by the respondent authority. Therefore, the principle laid down by this Court in the case of Nathubhai Jinabhai Gamara v. State of Gujarat (supra) applies to the facts of the present case.

9. In the aforesaid judgment, this Court, while dealing with the provisions of the sub-clause (ii) of sub-clause (b) of sub-Rule (2) of Rule 12 of the Rules of 2017, in paragraphs 7, 10 and 11 has held and observed thus:-

"7. Pertinently the competent authority under Rule 12 is only authorized to seize the property investigate the offence and compound it; the penalty can be imposed and confiscation of the property can be done only by order of the court.

Imposition of penalties and other punishments under Rule 21 is thus the domain of the court and not the competent authority. Needless to say therefore that for the purpose of confiscation of the property it will have to be produced with the sessions court and the custody would remain as indicated in sub-rule 7 of Rule 12. Thus where the offence is not

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compounded or not compoundable it would be obligatory for the investigator to approach the court of sessions with a written complaint and produce the seized properties with the court on expiry of the specified period. In absence of this exercise, the purpose of seizure and the bank guarantee would stand frustrated; resultantly the property will have to be released in favour of the person from whom it was seized, without insisting for the bank guarantee.

10. The bank guarantee is contemplated to be furnished in three eventualities: (i) for the release of the seized property and (ii) for compounding of the offence and recovery of compounded amount, if it remains unpaid on expiry of the specified period of 30 days; (iii) for recovery of unpaid penalty. Merely because that is so, it cannot be said that the investigator would be absolved from its duty of instituting the case on failure of compounding of the offence. Infact offence can be compounded at two stages being (1) at a notice stage, within 45 days of the seizure of the vehicle; (2) during the prosecution but before the order of confiscation. Needless to say that for compounding the offence during the prosecution, prosecution must be lodged and it is only then that on the application for compounding, the bank guarantee could be insisted upon. In absence of prosecution, the question of bank guarantee would not arise; nor would the question of compounding of offence.

11. The deponent of the affidavit appears to have turned a blind eye on Rule 12 when he contends that application for compounding has been dispensed with by the amended rules

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inasmuch as; even the amended Rule 12(b)(i) clearly uses the word "subject to receipt of compounding application". Thus the said contention deserve no merits. Thus, in absence of the complaint, the competent authority will have no option but to release the seized vehicle without insisting for bank guarantee. There is thus a huge misconception on the part of the authority to assert that even in absence of the complaint it would have a dominance over the seized property and that it can insist for a bank guarantee for its."

It has been held that it would be obligatory for the investigator to approach the Court of Sessions with a written complaint and produce the seized properties with the Court on expiry of the specified period. In absence of such exercise, the purpose of seizure and the bank guarantee would stand frustrated; resultantly, the property will have to be released in favour of the person from whom it was seized, without insisting for the bank guarantee.

10. In view of the fact that no First Information Report has been registered and the principle laid down by this Court in the aforesaid case applies to the facts of the present case, the present petition deserves to be allowed and is accordingly allowed to the limited extent of directing the respondent to release the vehicle of the petitioner i.e. TATA TRUCK GJ-17-Y-2844. It is clarified that this Court, has not examined the merits of the issue

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involved and the observations made are only for the limited purpose of releasing the vehicle.

11. In view of the aforementioned discussion, the petition succeeds and is accordingly allowed in part. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent. No order as to costs. Direct service is permitted.

(VAIBHAVI D. NANAVATI,J) SAJ GEORGE