C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy, J.

These writ petitions raise common legal issues, besides separate but identical detention orders being challenged therein. Each of the detenus is detained under Section 3(1) and (2) of the Prevention of the Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980 (for short the 1980 Act).

2. The gravamen of the allegation on which the detenus have been detained is that they have been engaged in clandestine business of purchasing commodities meant for public distribution system by hoarding, diverting and selling the same without any licence under the A.P State Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2008 (hereinafter referred to as the Control Order, 2008) r/w Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1995 (for short the 1995 Act). In the grounds of detention, it is specifically alleged that the material placed before respondent No. 2 revealed that the detenus have been doing illegal and clandestine business of purchasing PDS rice and other commodities from the ration cardholders and thereafter storing and selling the same to the needy people for pecuniary gain. The grounds referred to and relied upon three criminal cases agai