Authorities must provide reasoned orders when suspending a dealer's authorization, ensuring fair consideration of explanations submitted.

ORDER :

1. This writ petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking the following relief:

“…to issue an appropriate writ order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the 4^th respondent in issuing Proceedings in RC No.786/2025-C, dated 31.07.2025 placing my authorization on Fair Price Shop No.0750019 in Kuretivaripalem H/o Allavaripalem Village, Cherukupalli Mandal, under interim suspension without considering my detailed explanation dated 22.07.2025, as being illegal, arbitrary, unjust and unconstitutional and consequently to set aside the said order dated 31.07.2025 of the 4^th respondent in the interest of justice and to pass…”

2. The petitioner was appointed as a permanent Fair Price Shop Dealer of Shop No.0750019 of Kuretivaripalem, Cherukupalli Mandal, Bapatla District, in the year 2005. The petitioner’s authorization was extended from time to time. The case of the petitioner is also that since the date of appointment she has been distributing the essential commodities without there being any complaint from the cardholders as well as the official respondents.

2.1 While the matter being so, on 10.07.2025 at about 1:00 a.m. the police officials of Cherukupalli Police Station came to the petitioner’s house, knocked the door and has enquired as to whether the rice bags that were placed in front of the petitioner’s house belong to her or not. In reply, the petitioner stated that the rice bags did not belong to her but however has requested the police officials that she would check her stocks available in the fair price shop to prove her innocence. Thereafter, the police officials did not conduct any inspection and left the place taking away the 10 bags which were lying in front of the petitioner’s house in an auto. On 10.07.2025, the petitioner made a representation to the Tahsildar, Cherukupalli, informing the aforesaid events and also stated that somebody has intentionally placed the rice bags in front of her house to implicate her in false cases and requested the Tahsildar to verify the stocks available in her shop. Accordingly, she also submitted a report to the Sub-Inspector of Police on the same day. Thereafter she came to know that the police officials of Cherukupalli Police Station have booked a case against the petitioner under Section 318(4) of BNS and Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act vide FIR No.89 of 2025 for indulging in diversion of PDS rice into black market.

3. Subsequently, on 14.07.2025, basing on instructions of the Tahsildar, Cherukupalli, the Civil Supplies Deputy Tahsildar, conducted verification of the stocks available in the petitioner’s shop with reference to e-Pos device but did not find any deviation in the stocks. In spite of the same, the inspecting officials with an intention to implicate the petitioner in the above false case have seized the available stocks from the petitioner under the cover of mediatornama. Thereafter, the 4^th respondent issued a Show Cause Notice to the petitioner on 17.07.2025, basing on the report submitted by the 6^th respondent directing the petitioner to submit her explanation within 7 days from the date of receipt of the said Show Cause Notice, for which the petitioner has submitted her explanation on 22.07.2025 duly explaining the facts that have happened on 10.07.2025.

4. The grievance of the petitioner in the present case is that instead of considering her explanation, the 4^th respondent under the pressure of the local political leaders has proceeded to issue the impugned suspension