IQBALAHMAD v. UNIONOFINDIA.....RespondentsThrough & Anr.
Judgment
INTHEHIGHCOURTOFDELHIATNEWDELHI+W.P.(C)168/2025&CMAPPL.760/2025IQBALAHMAD.....PetitionerThrough: Mr.AshishPanday, Mr.AjaySingh, Mr.AkshatRaghuvanshi, Mr.AshishPanday, Advs. (M:9599437665)versusUNIONOFINDIAANDANR......RespondentsThrough: Mr.ShubhamTyagi, SSC.CBICwithMs.NavrutiOjha, Adv.forR-2andMr.R.KGupta, Supdt.IGIAirport. (M:9650049869)CORAM:JUSTICEPRATHIBAM.SINGHJUSTICEDHARMESHSHARMAORDER%20.02.20251.Thishearinghasbeendonethroughhybridmode.
ThepresentpetitionisfiledbythePetitionerunderArticle226and227oftheConstitutionofIndiaseekingunconditionalreleaseofthegoldbar, seizedfromthePetitionervideDetentionReceiptNo.27709dated11thMay,2021,asalsosettingasidetheOrder-in-Originaldated23rdJune,2023.
AccordingtothePetitioner, theperiodprescribedunderSection124oftheCustomsActof1962forissuanceoftheShowCauseNotice[hereinafter“SCN”]issixmonths, whichhasalreadylapsed. However, the Order-In-OriginalNo.360/27709/5/11/2021/WH/2023-24dated23rdJune2023hasbeenpassedmuchbeyondthesaidperiodwithoutsendingaSCNandthesameiscontrarytolaw.
Inthepresentcaseon09thJanuary,2025,thelastdate, the CourthaddirectedtheCustomsDepartmenttoseekinstructions. This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/07/2025 at 23:44:02
Mr.Tyagi, ld. Counselhasappearedtodayandsubmitsthatinthiscase, the PetitionerhadwaivedtheSCNandtheoralhearing.
InviewofthedecisionpassedinAmitKumarv. TheCommissionerofCustoms,2025:DHC:751-DB,suchwaiverwouldnotbelegal. However, consideringthenatureofthegoodswhichhavebeenimported, this Courtisoftheopinionthatthegoodscannotbereleasedstraightawayasagoldbarwouldnotconstitutepersonaleffectsorpersonaljewellery.
Thus, theimpugnedOrder-in-Originaldated23rdJune,2023isaccordinglysetaside.
SincethePetitionerhasnothadanopportunitytoreplytotheSCN,the RespondentmayissueaSCNwithinfourweekstothePetitionerthroughcounsel. TheSCNshallbeservedonthefollowingcontactinformation:[email protected].
ThereplyshallbefiledbythePetitionerwithinfourweeksthereafter. ThePetitionershallthenbeaffordedapersonalhearingandareasonedorderinaccordancewithlawshallbepassedwithinsixmonthsfromthedateofserviceofsuchSCN.
Accordingly, thepetitionisdisposedofintheaforesaidterms. Pendingapplications, ifany, arealsodisposedof.PRATHIBAM.SINGH,J.DHARMESHSHARMA,J.FEBRUARY20,2025/gunn/ks
Precedent status how later indexed judgments have treated this case
No known negative treatment found in the Courts & Cases corpus.
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