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In April 2024, the Customs Department seized two gold chains from the neck of a 17 -year -old girl from an NRI family, who was going to Kerala from UAE to Kerala via Delhi to attend the wedding of his relative.
In response to a letter written by the father in May 2024 in this regard, the Customs Department said in November 2024 that if he wants to leave this chain, then give 50 thousand rupees. Apart from this, a fine of Rs 5000 has also been imposed. 72,000 Rs. A fine of Rs 100 will be imposed per day. Warehousing fee Rs. 250 will have to be paid. Hence the NRI filed a case in the Delhi High Court, which reprimanded the Customs Department and ordered to return both chains without any fee.
At Delhi Airport, the Customs Department seized two gold chains from the neck of a 17 -year -old girl who arrived in India from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 9 April 2024. The minor came to India to attend a wedding in Kerala with her parents and was going from the United Arab Emirates to Kerala via Delhi. The chain was confiscated after the minor passed through a green channel without any manifesto. The two gold chains he wore was 937 grams of purity and he had a total weight of 49 grams. The minor did not explain the details of these two chains in the customs manifesto, so they were confiscated. After this, the family of the minor was allowed to leave.
The family, who landed at the Delhi Airport from the United Arab Emirates, was truly an Indian citizen and when the chain was seized, they also had a certificate and identity card of the residence in the United Arab Emirates. Since the daughter was a minor, her father was allowed to stay with her and when both of them were seized, her father argued that her daughter had been wearing both these chains since childhood and she came to India to attend a relative’s wedding in Kerala. After this, Sagira’s father wrote a letter to the Customs Department in May 2024, stating that he is ready to export this gold back to UAE. In response, the Customs Department issued an order in November 2024 saying that they can export again in this manner but for this they will have to pay Rs 500 first. A fine of Rs 40,000, others Rs. An additional fine of Rs 5000 was imposed. Daily storage fee of Rs 32,000 and Rs. 10,000 for chain 250 will have to be paid. Considering the two gold chains brought by the minor to India as illegal imports, the Customs Department ordered a fine to be paid in November 2024, after which the father of the minor filed a case in the Delhi High Court.
After hearing the arguments during the hearing of the case, the Delhi High Court issued an order quenching the order of the Customs Department to impose a fine and reprimanded the department, saying that the Customs Department cannot confiscate the jewelery taken for personal use according to the law. Apart from this, in this case, the department has neither issued a show cause notice nor has the victim an opportunity to appear personally. With such a comment, the Delhi High Court ruled in favor of the victim’s family on 10 March 2025 and ordered the Customs Department to return the two chains to NRI without any fee. Following this order of the Delhi High Court, the Customs Department filed an affidavit in the High Court on March 27, saying that till the necessary amendments are made in the Bagge Rules, 2016, the department will take some interim measures to prevent such incidents.