MS. PUJA JAYANT & ORS. vs COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS, IGI AIRPORT

Judgment text excerpt

$~77 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of decision: 11th September, 2025 + W.P.(C) 13995/2025 & CM APPL. 57278/2025 MS. PUJA JAYANT & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Harsh Trikha, Adv. versus COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS, IGI AIRPORT .....Respondent Through: Mr. Gibran Naushad, SSC with Mr. Harsh Singhal and 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. 57278/2025 (for exemption) 2. Allowed, subject to all just exceptions. Application is disposed of. W.P.(C) 13995/2025 3. The present petition reveals a concerning situation with respect to the functioning of the Customs Department at I.G.I. Airport. 4. The petition has been filed by the Petitioners under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, inter alia, seeking release of their gold jewellery seized by the Customs Department, I.G.I. Airport. 5. The details of the detained jewellery which were detained vide detention receipts dated 6th September, 2022, are as under: ● One gold chain weighing 100gms ● One gold chain weighing 51gms W.P.(C) 13995/2025 Page 1 of 8 Signature Not Verified Signed By:RAHUL Signing Date:13.09.2025 14:27:04 ● One gold chain weighing 250gms (hereinafter ‘gold jewellery’) 6. A brief background of the Petitioner’s case is that, Petitioners i.e Petitioner No.1 - Ms. Puja Jayant who is the wife of Petitioner No.3 - Mr. Jayant Shastri, along with Petitioner No.2-Ms. Manisha Shastri, who is the sister of Petitioner No. 3, were travelling to India from Dubai to attend a family wedding. Upon their arrival, they were intercepted by the Customs department on 6th September, 2022 and the gold jewellery worn by them was detained vide three separate detention receip