VAVVO vs COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS

Judgment text excerpt

$~26 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of Decision: 29th May, 2025 + W.P.(C) 5080/2025 VAVVO .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Aditya Raj, Mr. Pratham Diwakar and Mr. Pravej Hasan, Advocates. Mr. Ashish Panday, Mr. Ajay Singh, Mr, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Advocates. versus COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS .....Respondent Through: Ms. Anushree Narian, SSC with Mr. Ankit Kumar, Advocate. CORAM: JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUSTICE RAJNEESH KUMAR GUPTA Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral) 1. This hearing has been done through hybrid mode. 2. The Petitioner was returning to India from Mecca, Saudi Arabia after performing religious pilgrimage (“Umrah”) on 11th February, 2024. She was wearing two gold bangles weighing 115 grams (hereinafter, ‘detained articles’) which were detained by the Customs Department and the same were seized. 3. The Petitioner is stated to have visited the Customs Department for release of detained articles on multiple occasions. However, the same has not been released. It is the case of the Petitioner that no show cause notice (hereinafter, ‘SCN’) has been issued in this matter and no personal hearing has been granted. 4. Ms. Anushree Narain, ld. Sr. Standing Counsel for Respondent submits Signature Not Verified Signed By:NAMITA W.P.(C) 5080/2025 Page 1 of 11 DHYANI Signing Date:02.06.2025 18:32:36 that an Order-in-Original has been passed in this case on 01st August, 2024. The same has been handed over to the Court today. Let it be taken on record. A perusal of the said Order-in-Original dated 1st August, 2024, would show that the standard pre-printed waiver of SCN and personal hearing has been stated to be signed by the Petitioner. The relevant paragraphs of the order-in- original are set out below: “2. The passenger Ms Vavvo holding Indian passport No. B8149099 (he