IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE E.V.VENUGOPAL WRIT PETITION No.3596 of 2026 DATED : 06.02.2026 Between :

Thakkiti Ravinder Reddy.

… Petitioner.

And The State of Telangana, represented by its Principal Secretary, Home (Excise) Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad and others.

… Respondents.

ORDER :

The present writ petition is filed by the petitioner 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 5^th Respondent in seizing the Petitioner’s vehicle Maruti swift Car bearing Reg.no.TS11EB1704 in Crime No.441/2025 of LMD Colony Police Station Karimnagar Dated 09/12/2025 as illegal arbitrary and unconstitutional being violative of Article 14 and 300A of the Constitution of India and consequently direct Respondent Nos.3 to 5 to forthwith release the said vehicle and pass..…”

2. Heard Sri Khammam Srinivas, learned counsel for the petitioner, Sri A.Jagan, learned Government Pleader for Excise, for respondent Nos.1, 2 and 4 and Sri M.Srinivas, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home, for respondent Nos.3 and 5 and perused the record.

3. The petitioner submits that he is the owner of the vehicle i.e., Maruti Swift Car and comes from an agriculturist family that manages a farm with the help of hired labor. For his son’s birthday celebration, the family organized a small party at home and invited relatives. On that occasion, the petitioner, along with a relative, visited a nearby wine shop in Nusthulapur village to purchase liquor for the party and the laborers working on the farm. While returning, the LMD Colony Police (respondent No.5) stopped the vehicle during routine checking, seized it along with the liquor bottles, and did not heed the petitioner’s explanation that the liquor was intended for a private family celebration. The petitioner clarifies that the purchase was not related to any election activity, despite his brother contesting the local sarpanch elections.

4. On 09-12-2025, the police registered FIR No.441 of 2025 under sections 171, 174 BNSS and Section 34(a) of the Telangana State Excise Act, 1968, for the seizure of the vehicle and liquor. The learned Special Judicial Magistrate of First Class (Excise), Karimnagar, directed the police to deposit the seized property with the Deputy Commissioner (Excise & Prohibition, respondent No.4). The vehicle has since been kept in the open premises of the police station without proper shelter or maintenance. Despite the seizure, the authorities have not initiated formal confiscation proceedings under the Telangana State Excise Act, and no confiscation order has been issued to the petitioner.

5. On 21-01-2026, respondent No.4 issued a show-cause notice to the petitioner, asking why the property should not be confiscated. The petitioner attempted to respond in person but, due to typhoid fever, sent a written reply by speed post on 31-01- 2026. The vehicle continues to remain exposed to harsh weather, resulting in rapid deterioration, depreciation, and mechanical damage, making it unfit for use. The petitioner emphasizes that the vehicle is essential for transporting agricultural stock and for daily farming activities. Its continued detention has caused significant financial hardship, loss of income, and irreparable injury to him and his family. The petitioner argues that retaining the vehicle without initiating proper legal proceedings constitutes arbitrary action, violates natural justice, and infringes on his constitutional right to property. Furthermore, the vehicle’s assessed value of Rs.1,75,000/- is beyond the petitioner’s financial means, given his middle-class agricultural background.

Hence, the present writ petition.

6. Learned Government Pleader for Prohibition and Excise, vehemently contended that the writ petition is misconceived and liable to be dismissed at the thresh