Supreme Court Stays Bombay HC Deadline; Allows DRI To Continue Probe Into Illegal Import Of Pakistani-Origin Dry Dates

Mumbai: The Supreme Court of India has stayed the strict timeline imposed by the Bombay High Court on the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, for completing its investigation into the alleged illegal import of Pakistani-origin dry dates. The apex court has also permitted the DRI and the investigating officer to continue their probe unhindered into the suspected illegal import of goods prohibited under Indian trade regulations, the central agency said on Saturday.

The case originated from a petition filed by Make India Impex, which sought the release of around 56 tonnes of dry dates seized by the DRI. The importer told the Bombay High Court that it had paid Rs 6.3 lakh in customs duty and that the goods had been cleared by Customs after obtaining statutory approvals from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).The firm argued that despite these clearances, the goods were subsequently seized by the DRI on the grounds that they had originated from Karachi, Pakistan, and had been routed through Dubai to conceal their true origin.

The Bombay High Court had directed the DRI to issue a show-cause notice within four weeks and complete adjudication within six weeks. Crucially, the High Court ordered that if the DRI failed to meet these deadlines, the seized goods currently lying at a Container Freight Station (CFS) must be released, either unconditionally or on payment of a redemption fine or submission of a bank guarantee.

Challenging the High Court’s directive, the DRI approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the case involves a transnational smuggling syndicate employing multiple layers of trans-shipment and document manipulation to disguise the country of origin. The agency maintained that the rigid schedule imposed by the High Court was inconsistent with the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and could hamper national security and enforcement objectives in cases involving complex international trade networks.

While admitting the DRI’s appeal, the Supreme Court observed that investigations of such magnitude require adequate time and flexibility. The Court stayed the High Court’s directions and allowed the DRI to continue its investigation in accordance with statutory procedure.

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Officials familiar with the matter said the DRI’s Mumbai zonal unit is also examining the role of other importers suspected of routing Pakistani-origin dry dates and similar consignments through Dubai to conceal their source. The imports allegedly violated the Government of India’s prohibition on trade with Pakistan, imposed on national security grounds following the Pahalgam terror attacks.

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