The Delhi High Court has directed the customs commissioner to investigate alleged illegal seizure of 122,000 Thai Baht at IGI Airport.
The bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Rajneesh Kumar Gupta has observed that the CCTV footage ought to be preserved immediately as the same is available only for 30 days. Moreover, the CCTV footage of the Petitioner at the time of departure could also have been preserved to determine whether the Petitioner was wearing a gold kada or not at the time of departure.
The Petitioner, Ramdiya Verma is a resident of Kurukshetra, Haryana and he had made a gold Kada in 2019, from the gold which his mother had given to him. The Petitioner travelled to Bangkok and returned back to Delhi on 25thMay, 2023. Upon arrival, the Petitioner was intercepted at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi (IGI Airport) by the concerned officials of the Custom Department.
The kada was seized by the Customs Department and a detention receipt for the same was also issued. The Order-in-Original was then passed by the Authority on 14th June, 2023.
The Petitioner submitted that the Petitioner preferred a Revision Petition, however, the said Revision Petition has not been heard. The Petitioner was wearing the gold kada since 2019 and he has placed the photographs on record to prove the same.
In addition, there is another grievance of the Petitioner that when he landed in Delhi at the IGI Airport, he was carrying foreign currency and out of the same, a sum of 122,000/- Thai Baht is stated to have been seized by the Customs Department. Further, no detention receipt has been issued for the same.
The court directed that the Commissioner of Customs shall conduct an enquiry into the matter on the complaint of the Petitioner regarding illegal seizure of Thai Baht, as the same if true, is a very serious matter. After conducting enquiry, the Commissioner of Customs, shall also take action in accordance with law.
Case Details
Case Title: Ramdiya Verma Versus Customs Commissioner
Case No.: W.P.(C) 4004/2025 & CM APPL. 18603/2025
Date: 01/04/2025
Counsel For Petitioner: D.S. Chadha
Counsel For Respondent: Anushree Narain
