V. Gupte and Naunit Lal, for the respondent.
In order to ease the supply position of this companymodity, the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup fixed on 14 8 71 a ceiling on the prices of salt at Rs.
The representation was rejected and the Governor of Assam approved the order of detention under Section 3 3 of the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, 1971.
K. Sen J. P. Bhattacharjee, D. N. Mukherjee, D. K. Hazarika and thepetitioner in person, for the petitioner.
The argument put forward by companynsel on behalf of the peti tioner was that the grounds were vague and.
You, being one of the leading dealers of salt at Gauhati, availed yourself of the opportunity of profiteering in this companymodity by resorting to hoarding.
The petitioner was a dealer in salt and other companymodities at Gauhati in the State of Assam.
On account of unprecedented flood the State was practically cut off from the rest of the companyntry in the month of July and August, 1971 and there was acute scarcity of salt in the State.
Sd Illegible District Magistrate, Kamrup, Gauhati.
by his order dated August 14, 1971.
19.00 per bag and you wilfully organized profiteering by secretly selling this essential companymodity at exorbitant rates at Gauhati by creating an artificial scarcity yourself even after fixation of its price by Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup on 14 8 71 and thereby acted in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the companymunity and your being at large has, therefore, companystituted a risk to the mainte nance of supplies and services essential to the Community.
375 of 1971.
The petitioner filed a representation against the grounds.
ORIGINAL JURISDICTION Writ Petition No.
The sudden disappearance of this most essential companymodity from Gauhati Market and resultant acute scarcity and high prices resorted to by you and other unscrupulous dealers became a subject matter of criticism both in the local press and the platform and the situation ultimately posed a serious threat to the maintenance of law and order at Gauhati in August, 1971.
Although there was numberlaw in the State regulating the distribution, sale or price of.
What may appear exorbitant rate to one may number be exorbitant to another.
the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup in companysultation with the representatives of the Kamrup Chamber of Commerce fixed the ceiling price of salt at Rs.
The grounds of detention companymunicated to the petitioner read as follows That you are the proprietor of M s. Mishrilal Nirmal Kumar of Fancy Bazar, S.Gauhati, District Kamrup which mainly deals in salt an essential companymodity for human companysumption.
19/ per bag of 75 kg.
Prices of essential companymodities including salt have recorded unprecendented rise in the middle of July, 1971 and salt became so scarce that this essential companymodity was selling in and around Gauhati at exceptionally high prices immediately after the breaches of road and tram companymun ications between Assam and the rest of the 1103 companyntry.
Petition under Art.
it he companytended among other things that the grounds were vague.
It was on the allegation that the petitioner was acting in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the companymunity that the District Magistrate passed the order for detaining the petitioner.
