The learned Government Pleader has placed before me a copy of the written instructions received from the Tahsildar. According to these instructions, the lorry was seized at 12.15 pm on 27.02.07. At the time of the raid the driver submitted an old sand pass dt.19.02.07 of the Secretary of the Panchayat for transportation of sand on 20.02.2007 from Padiyattam Kadavu of the same Panchayat. While the time and date shown in the old pass was verified, the driver produced a new pass dt.26.02.07. On verification of the original and carbon copy of the new pass, the time of departure of the vehicle was seenwritten in different handwriting and different words. The Tahsildar states that as the produced duplicate copy of the pass at the time of checking was found incompatible with the original copy and was purposefully manipulated, the vehicle was seized. If what the Tahsildar has stated is correct the petitioner may not be entitled for any relief in this case from this Court. But then, the issue is to be decided by the District Collector who is the adjudicating authority. After all nobody gains by making the lorry and load idle in the premises of the local police station. Accordingly, I am inclined to direct the release of the lorry and load to the petitioner
