Supreme Court Reserves Verdict on Customs Dept.'s 2021 Judgement Review Plea

The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the customs department's request to review a 2021 judgement denying Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers the authority to recover duties on goods cleared for import. The review plea was heard in an open court over four days and involved a detailed discussion on the provisions of the Customs Act.

The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on the customs department's plea requesting a review of its 2021 judgement, which denied Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers the authority to recover duties on goods cleared for import by customs.

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud heard arguments from both sides over four days. Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman represented the customs department, while senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi led the legal team for private companies.

The 2021 verdict, which was reviewed in an open court despite usual chamber proceedings, ruled that a DRI officer is not the "proper officer" under the Customs Act to seek duty recovery. The customs department argued that DRI officials should be considered customs officers, while the opposition insisted the original judgement was founded on apparent errors.

(With inputs from agencies.)