MYRATGELDI MAMMEDOV vs UNION OF INDIA & ANR.

Judgment text excerpt

$~26 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of decision: 13th November, 2025 + W.P.(C) 2685/2021 & CM APPL. 71020/2025 MYRATGELDI MAMMEDOV .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Pramod Saxena, Adv. versus UNION OF INDIA & ANR. .....Respondent Through: Mr. Gibran Naushad, SSC with Mr. Harsh Singhal & Mr. Suraj Shekhar Singh, Advs. CORAM: JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUSTICE SHAIL JAIN Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral) 1. This hearing has been done through hybrid mode. CM APPL. 71020/2025 (for delay) 2. This is an application for condonation of delay in filing additional affidavit. For the reasons stated in the application, the delay is condoned. Application is disposed of. W.P.(C) 2685/2021 3. The present petition has been filed, inter alia, seeking release of a gold chain of the Petitioner, weighing 516 grams, detained by the Customs Department, which according to the Petitioner is his personal effect. 4. The brief facts of the case are that the Petitioner is a citizen of Turkmenistan and was travelling from Istanbul to Delhi on 04th May, 2018. Upon arrival at the IGI Airport, New Delhi, the Petitioner was intercepted by the Customs Department and the following items were detained from the Petitioner: Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed W.P.(C) 2685/2021 Page 1 of 6 By:DHIRENDER KUMAR Signing Date:17.11.2025 18:48:07 i. One gold chain, weighing 516 grams; ii. USD 520/- and; iii. INR 3460/-. 5. The Petitioner, after being detained at the airport upon his arrival, is stated to have been provided an interpreter, namely Mr. Sandeep Kumar Yadav from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, as he was speaking Russian. 6. The case of the Petitioner is that, he was questioned at the airport from 04th May, 2018, till 06th May, 2028 i.e., for three days and he was, thereafter, arrested and was