Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973

The case arose from allegations of irregularities in the grant of an advance licence for import of cotton fabrics, leading to a criminal complaint against a company, its directors and four public servants under the IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act and Customs Act. The company and its directors filed a declaration unde…

M. Ahamedkuti was intercepted for smuggling gold and was granted bail on 12‑Feb‑1988. The Kerala Home Secretary later issued a detention order under COFEPOSA on 25‑Jun‑1988, which was executed on 2‑Aug‑1988. The appellant challenged the order on grounds of unexplained delays in passing and executing the order and, cruc…

Mis J.B. Boda & Co. Pvt. Ltd., a reinsurance broker, received a commission in US dollars after deducting its fee from the gross reinsurance premium it remitted to foreign reinsurers with RBI approval. The company claimed that the retained commission constituted "income received in convertible foreign exchange" under Se…

Coca‑Cola Export Corp., a wholly‑owned non‑resident subsidiary of the Coca‑Cola Company, claimed deductions for pro‑rated home‑office expenses and service charges paid in US dollars. The Income‑Tax Officer (ITO) disallowed portions of these deductions and later issued notices under Section 148 of the Income‑Tax Act to …

Mohanlal Jatia was detained under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA) on the basis of documents seized from his brother‑in‑law and statements recorded by R.C. Singh of the Enforcement Directorate. His wife, Pushpadevi Jatia, challenged the detention before th…

The Union of India appealed against a High Court order that had upheld the jurisdiction of the Special Director (Appeals) under FEMA to hear appeals against an adjudication order passed under Section 51 of the repealed FERA. The adjudication order, dated 5 December 2003, imposed a penalty on Godrej Industries Ltd. and …

The Assistant Collector of Customs intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 194 ingots of silver, suspecting smuggling. The accused were convicted under several statutes, including section 135(1)(a)(ii) of the Customs Act, 1962. The Bombay High Court set aside the conviction under the Customs Act, holding that the phrase …

The Enforcement Directorate seized Rs.4,28,713 in 1966 and recorded statements from appellants K.T.S. Mohammed and M. Jamal Mohammed under Section 39 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA). Both appellants later retracted those statements, claiming they were obtained under duress, and the Income‑Tax Officer reco…

Aditya V. Birla, a technician, entered into a three‑year agreement with Thai Rayon Company to provide services in Bangkok and sought approval from the Indian Government to claim a deduction under Section 80RRA of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Government refused, contending that the provision applied only to "employees"…

Modi Xerox Ltd. made foreign exchange remittances in 1985 and was served a show‑cause notice under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) against the company and its directors. One of the directors, Shailendra Swarup, contended that he was a part‑time, non‑executive director and had no responsibility for the …

Ashok Kumar was detained under Section 3(1) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 on allegations of illegal foreign‑currency and gold transactions. The grounds of detention were served on 21 March 1987, but the material documents on which the Detaining Authority relied…

The petitioners, children of a former Director of Animal Husbandry, were charged under Section 56 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) for receiving foreign exchange. While the cases were pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, the State Government, with the High Court's resolution, transferred them to a…

Dr. Partap Singh and his wife challenged the validity of a search warrant issued by an Assistant Director of Enforcement under Section 37 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973, alleging that the officer had no material to form a reasonable belief and failed to record the grounds in writing. The High Court had di…

Mrs. F.L. Raitt, a foreign national, sold a portion of her Indian immovable property to the predecessor of the appellant after obtaining prior RBI permission, but gifted another portion to respondent No.1 without such permission. The appellant and respondent No.4 sued to declare the gift deeds void; the trial court dis…

Forasol, a French company, entered into a drilling contract with ONGC that required most payments in French Francs and 20% in Indian rupees at a fixed rate. After the rupee was devalued, Forasol claimed a higher conversion rate, which the arbitrator awarded without specifying a rate for the Franc portion. The Delhi Hig…

The Supreme Court examined whether it could compel Parliament to enact a law disqualifying candidates against whom serious criminal charges have been framed and whether it could direct the Election Commission to deny such candidates the use of a party's reserved symbol. The Court held that disqualification is a matter …

The Chief Enforcement Officer filed a criminal complaint under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) against Videocon International Ltd. on May 24, 2002. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate took cognizance of the offence on the same day and later issued summons on February 3, 2003. The accused sought quashing of the…

The appellants, Indian public corporations engaged in manufacturing, imported technical drawings, designs and manuals from foreign collaborators on media such as paper and diskettes under technical collaboration agreements. The Customs Commissioner issued show‑cause notices under Section 28(1) of the Customs Act allegi…

The Supreme Court considered the sanction of a scheme of amalgamation between Tata Oil Mills Company Ltd. (TOMCO) and Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HLL), a subsidiary of the foreign multinational Unilever. The petitioners – nominal TOMCO shareholders, employee unions and consumer groups – challenged the scheme on six grounds, …

Citi Bank, an authorized dealer under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA), accepted cash in foreign currency into the NRE account of a non‑resident Indian during October 1992‑January 1993. In 2002 the Enforcement Directorate issued a show‑cause notice alleging violations of several FERA provisions, relying…

The case concerned appeals by the Commissioner of Customs against the confiscation of a consignment of readymade garments exported by Mis Brooks International for duty drawback. The revenue authorities seized the goods, invoking Sections 113(c) and (d) of the Customs Act, 1962, alleging that the market value of the goo…

The UAE Exchange Centre, a UAE company, obtained RBI permission under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act to operate liaison offices in India for limited functions such as receiving remittance data, printing cheques/drafts and couriering them to beneficiaries. The Authority for Advance Rulings held that income from the…

The appellant, D. Anuradha, challenged the preventive detention of her husband under Section 3(1) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974, alleging procedural violations. She contended that the reference to the COFEPOSA Advisory Board was made after the statutory five‑we…

Standard Chartered Bank and its officers challenged show‑cause notices issued under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) alleging that Sections 50, 51, 56 and 68 were unconstitutional as they violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The Bank argued that FERA, being in the Ninth Schedule, should not …

The Union Bank of India issued a bank guarantee for Dany Dairy & Food Engineers Ltd., which was later invoked by Seppo Rally OY, a Finnish company. Payment under the guarantee was delayed because the bank had to obtain permission from the Reserve Bank of India to remit the amount in foreign exchange and because of a la…

Reliance Petrochemicals Ltd. obtained consent from the Controller of Capital Issues to issue a large public debenture offering and sought a transfer of multiple pending writs to the Supreme Court under Article 139A. The Court ordered the issue to proceed without hindrance and vacated earlier injunctions. The Indian Exp…

The appellant, a former Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate, alleged that respondents deliberately suppressed material facts about a mistaken Interpol notice, causing him to remain in judicial custody for 36 days. He filed a criminal contempt petition under Article 215 of the Constitution, claiming the respo…

Punjab National Bank (PNB) sued Indian Bank and Indo‑Europe Foods Ltd for recovery of a US‑dollar bank guarantee amounting to USD 5,237,284.54. The plaint sought a decree in US dollars with rupee equivalents for court‑fee and jurisdiction purposes. PNB later applied to amend the pleading to delete the rupee equivalents…

The Union of India detained B. Sankar under Section 3 of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA) for alleged hawala transactions involving Rs. 42.9 lakh. The Karnataka High Court set aside the detention, holding that the underlying offence under the repealed Fore…

The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) repealed the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) but saved prosecutions for offences under sections 56 and 57 of FERA if cognizance was taken within two years of FEMA's commencement. An Enforcement Officer appointed under FERA filed a complaint on 11 February 20…

Monotosh Saha was penalised Rs 25 lakhs for alleged contravention of Section 8(1) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973. The Special Director ordered the penalty and the Appellate Tribunal required a 60% pre‑deposit to entertain the appeal. Saha contended that the pre‑deposit caused undue hardship and sought dis…

The firm P.V. Mohammad Barmay Sons owned three vessels and, without Reserve Bank of India permission, purchased and fitted foreign engines, contravening Sections 5(1)(a) and (b) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947. A raid in 1974 led to a notice, show‑cause proceedings and a penalty of Rs 50,000 imposed under …

The case concerned the purchase of shares in Escorts Ltd by thirteen overseas companies, predominantly owned by non‑resident Indians, under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) portfolio investment scheme. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) later granted permission for the purchases, which the company had init…

The appellants, exporters of garments under the Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB) scheme, filed shipping bills claiming export benefits, but the goods were intercepted and found to be cheap garments grossly mis‑declared and heavily over‑invoiced. The Commissioner of Customs ordered confiscation of the goods under Secti…

Mis. George Williamson (Assam) Ltd. acquired the Indian undertakings of twelve UK‑registered tea companies under a scheme of arrangement approved by the High Courts and the RBI, which required that the net assets of the acquired business not be depleted. The consideration paid (Rs 490 lakhs) was lower than the net asse…

Videocon Industries Ltd. and its directors were penalised by the adjudicating authority under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) for alleged violations of sections 18(2) and 18(3). They appealed before the Appellate Tribunal for Foreign Exchange, which held that the transactions (purchase of goods from Korea an…

Vinod Solanki's office was searched and cash seized; he subsequently made statements to Enforcement officials under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) admitting to foreign exchange remittances, but later retracted those statements alleging coercion. The authorities imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty based largely on …

The appellant, Radheshyam Kejriwal, was investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged violations of Sections 8(2) and 9(1)(f)(i) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA). An adjudication proceeding under Section 51 concluded that the charges were not sustainable and the ED dropped the penalty …

The plaintiff, Goltens Dubai, repaired the vessel Master Panos and sought $100,000 from Defendant No.1 (Archean Industries) as part of a freight‑sharing arrangement that was to be paid directly to the plaintiff. Defendant No.1 executed a letter dated 22‑04‑1998 and a "Corporate Guarantee" dated 25‑04‑1998, unequivocall…

The appellant was served a summons under Section 40 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973, requiring him to appear before the Enforcement Officer and give a written, signed statement. He challenged the summons, contending that he could not be compelled to provide a written statement, alleging that the process am…

The appellants, Indian citizens residing abroad, were caught with large amounts of foreign exchange and were penalised Rs 3 lakhs each under the Customs Act. They appealed the penalty under s.129A, and the Customs Appellate Tribunal, invoking s.129E, reduced the security deposit to Rs 1 lakh each. Claiming inability to…

The appellant, K. Krishna M.A. RAIHANY, applied for Indian citizenship by naturalization under Section 6(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. He alleged that no order had been passed on his application, while the Union of India and the State of Maharashtra contended that a communication dated 29 August 2006 from the Under …

Tulip Star Hotels Ltd. and its Executive Director were alleged to have sold US$147,000 and £1,000 to Hotel Zam Zam in 1997 through persons not authorized under the RBI's Foreign Exchange Management (FLM) memorandum, violating sections 6(4), 6(5), 7 and 8 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) and paragraph…

MIS Opera House Exports Ltd. and others were adjudicated under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) for alleged violations relating to export bill realizations. The adjudicating authority issued an order on 11 October 2007, which was served on the company on 25 October 2007. The company filed an appeal befo…

ICICI filed an application under Section 19 of the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 seeking recovery of about Rs 36.5 crore from Grapco Industries Ltd. and others. The Debts Recovery Tribunal, on the same day, issued an ex‑parte injunction restraining the respondents from alienating h…

The Supreme Court examined whether a person questioned under the Customs Act, 1962 or the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 is entitled to the assistance of a lawyer. The petitioners argued that denial of counsel violated Article 20(3) and Article 21 of the Constitution, while the Department contended that such per…

MJ Exports Ltd., a recognised trading house, imported haemodialysers from West Germany under an Open General Licence (OGL) for "stock and sale" and cleared them for "home consumption" free of duty. The goods were repacked in India and exported to the USSR. Customs detained the goods, deeming the re‑export impermissible…

The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals of M/s. Dale & Carrington Investments Pvt. Ltd. and its Managing Director P.K. Ramanujam, upholding the Kerala High Court’s order that the allotment of 6,865 equity shares to Ramanujam was invalid. The Court held that no valid Board meeting had taken place, the company did not ne…

The landlord sued Singer India Ltd for eviction under Section 14(1)(b) of the Delhi Rent Control Act, alleging that the American tenant had transferred possession to the Indian company without the landlord's written consent. The transfer resulted from a court‑sanctioned amalgamation compelled by a Reserve Bank of India…

The Union of India issued a 1985 Reward Scheme for informers and government servants involved in seizures under the Customs, Central Excise & Salt, Gold Control and Foreign Exchange Regulation Acts, later amended in 1989 to cap rewards at Rs 1 lakh per seizure and Rs 10 lakh in a career. IPS officer R. Padmanabhan, who…

The appellant, the Principal Director of Income Tax (Investigation), sought to validate a search and seizure warrant issued under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 against Laljibhai Kanjibhai Mandalia, who had transferred Rs 10 crore as a loan to a newly formed company and later repaid it with interest. The High …

Vijay Mallya, Chairman of United Breweries Ltd., was summoned under Section 40 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) to appear before the Enforcement Directorate regarding alleged violations of foreign exchange rules in a Benetton advertising agreement. He failed to appear on several summons, leading to a…

The Bar Council of India appealed against orders allowing foreign law firms and lawyers to operate in India, arguing that the Advocates Act, 1961 restricts the practice of law to advocates enrolled with the Bar Council, covering both litigation and non‑litigation work. The Supreme Court examined whether foreign entitie…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by Telestar Travels Pvt. Ltd. and its directors challenging the adjudication order under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) that found them guilty of dealing in foreign exchange without RBI permission and of using a paper company, Bountiful Ltd., to route funds. The Court held…

The premises were originally leased to Cox & Kings (Agents) Ltd., a foreign company incorporated in the United Kingdom. After the Reserve Bank of India denied permission for the foreign company to continue its business under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973, the leasehold interest was assigned to an Indian com…

The Union of India issued show‑cause notices under the Customs Act, 1962 alleging mis‑declaration, over‑invoicing and misuse of foreign exchange by Adani Exports Ltd. The adjudicating authority imposed penalties under Section 50 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 read with Sections 49(3) and 49(4) of the Fore…

Hardie Trading Ltd. (Hardie) owned the trademarks "Spartan" and "Spartan Velox" and a warrior device, which it used in India under a 1946 collaboration agreement with Addisons Paint and Chemicals Ltd. (Addisons). After the agreement lapsed, Addisons applied to delete Hardie's marks under s.46 of the Trade and Merchandi…

The Union of India prosecuted M/s Maple Leaf Trading International Pvt. Ltd. and its foreign shareholders for trading imported gold coins without RBI permission, alleging violations of Sections 19(1)(a), 19(1)(d), 29(1)(b), 47(1), 49(1)(a) and 68 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973. The Adjudicating Authority …

M/s. Seema Silk & Sarees, a partnership firm, and its partner were penalised under Sections 18(2) and 18(3) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 for failing to repatriate export proceeds within the prescribed period. They challenged the constitutional validity of these provisions, arguing that the reverse burde…

The appellant challenged the preventive detention of his brother Bherchand Tikaji Bora under Section 3(1) of COFEPOSA, arguing that the detenu had been fully exonerated in adjudication proceedings under FERA and that this should nullify the detention order. The High Court dismissed the writ, holding that exoneration do…

The appellant, the Commissioner of Income Tax, challenged the Bombay High Court’s order quashing a notice issued under s.263 of the Income Tax Act against Chowgule & Co. Ltd., an exporter of iron ore whose export proceeds were credited in rupees by an Indian bank. The issue was whether Rule 115 of the Income Tax Rules,…

The appellant A. Tajudeen was prosecuted under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 for allegedly receiving foreign exchange without an authorized dealer. The Enforcement Directorate relied on a purported statement made on 20‑April‑1989, statements recorded during a raid on 25‑Oct‑1989 and while in custody on 26‑O…

The Enforcement Directorate searched the appellant's house and seized currency, bank drafts, bank pass books and loose sheets. The appellant was arrested, gave a statement, later retracted it, and was released on bail with a condition to attend the Enforcement Department daily, which was subsequently varied. A detentio…

The appellant, Mohtesham Mohd. Ismail, was served with a show‑cause notice under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) for allegedly remitting funds from the UAE through unauthorized persons and was penalised by the Special Director of Enforcement under section 9(3). He appealed to the Foreign Exchange Regul…

K. Ramullan, an Indian-origin Malaysian citizen, owned a Non‑Resident (External) Account in an Indian bank and stayed in India with his wife for medical treatment from June 1982 to April 1985. He claimed exemption from tax on the interest earned under Section 10(4A) of the Income Tax Act, arguing that he was a "person …

The Enforcement Directorate issued summons under Section 40 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 to M. Samba Siva Rao and others, who refused to comply with the directions. The Delhi High Court held that such refusal did not attract Section 56 of the Act and dismissed the complaints. On appeal, the Supreme Cour…

Motilal was arrested for possessing skins of protected wildlife under several provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The Central Government, invoking the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, issued a notification and, with the consent of the Uttar Pradesh Government, transferred the investigation to the…

Respondent No. I filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court challenging a show‑cause notice issued by the Special Director of the Enforcement Directorate under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, and sought an interim injunction restraining further investigation.…

Sea Pearl Industries, a processor of seafood, entered into an agreement with an eligible export house to export its processed products. The export house opened a Letter of Credit in its own name, which was later endorsed to Sea Pearl and the foreign exchange credited to its account. Sea Pearl claimed a deduction under …

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by DLF Ltd. and another Indian company against a Croatian generator firm concerning the enforcement of a foreign arbitral award expressed in euros. The key issues were the appropriate date for fixing the foreign exchange rate to convert the award into rupees and the treatment of a…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought permission under Section 155(2) of the CrPC to investigate alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) by Shri Arvind Singh Mewar, who was accused of purchasing property and incurring expenses abroad without RBI approval. The Chief Judicial Magistrat…

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized documents from Ashok Kumar Jain’s residence under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) and issued repeated summons for his interrogation. Jain, citing deteriorating health, applied for anticipatory bail, which was dismissed by the Sessions Court. The Delhi High Court …

M/s Bharat Carpets, a partnership firm, and its two partners were penalised for failing to repatriate export proceeds amounting to Rs.5,12,171 within the six‑month period prescribed under Section 18(2) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973. The firm contended that it had taken steps for repatriation, citing bank…

The appellant, O.P. Bhatia, exported ladies' skirts and declared a value far above the domestic market price, subsequently claiming a large drawback. The Customs Commissioner found that the export value was deliberately over‑invoiced, treated the goods as prohibited, confiscated them and imposed a fine and penalty. The…

Needle Industries (India) Ltd. (NHL) was required by the Reserve Bank of India to reduce the foreign holding in its capital from 60% to 40% under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. To comply, the board resolved on April 6, 1977 to issue 16,000 rights shares at par and, on May 2, 1977, allotted them solely to Indian s…

Solidaire India Ltd. had taken three loans from Fairgrowth Financial Services Ltd. and claimed that the agreed interest rate was 18% per annum. The Special Court (Trial of Offences Relating to Transactions and Securities) Act, 1992, awarded interest at 21.5% and 23% respectively, which the appellant contested. The appe…

The appellants were charged with violations of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 and the Indian Penal Code section 120‑B. A complaint was filed under the corresponding provisions of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973. The trial court dismissed the complaint, holding that the 1947 and 1973 Acts were incon…

The appellants, Stridewell Leathers Ltd., filed a petition under Sections 397/398 of the Companies Act, 1956 before the Company Law Board concerning Shoe Specialities Pvt. Ltd., whose registered office was in Madras. The Board, sitting in Delhi, passed an order which a shareholder appealed to the Delhi High Court under…

The respondent, P.V. Prabhakar Rao, feared arrest in connection with a massive urea‑related foreign exchange fraud and sought anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A Single Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court granted an interim order, later making it absolute, relying on the responde…

The Supreme Court examined whether a company, being a juristic person, can be prosecuted under Section 56 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 when the statute mandates both imprisonment and fine. The appellants argued that because a company cannot be imprisoned, the provision could not apply to them. The Court…

The appellant was detained under Section 3(1) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 for allegedly facilitating unauthorized foreign exchange transactions. He filed a representation against his detention, which he handed to the Superintendent of the Central Prison, Bomb…

The Supreme Court examined a suit for specific performance of a 1970 agreement to sell a Delhi bungalow. The plaintiffs argued they were ready to fulfil their obligations, while the defendant claimed the suit was time‑barred and that the plaintiffs breached clause 7 by not paying an additional Rs 1 lakh. The Court held…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of the Controller of Capital Issues' (CCI) consent to Reliance Petrochemicals Ltd.'s (RPL) issue of fully convertible debentures, which petitioners alleged was granted with undue haste, without proper application of mind, and in violation of non‑statutory guidelines, security req…

Burn Standard Company Ltd., a Government undertaking, entered into a technical collaboration agreement with McDermott International Inc. to obtain foreign technical know‑how, requiring RBI permission under Section 28(1)(b) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA). The agreement received approval from the Sec…

The claimants, the wife, children and mother of Joy Kuruvila, who died in a road accident while employed in the US, filed a claim for compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, seeking a sum in Indian rupees. The key issues were the appropriate date for fixing the foreign exchange rate to convert the deceased's U…

The Gujarat Cancer Society imported MRI and lithotripsy machines under a customs duty exemption certificate that required the equipment to be used by the "actual user". The Customs Collector later held the society liable for duty but, considering its charitable purpose, imposed only a token fine and did not prosecute. …

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) relied on two spiral notebooks and related documents recovered from J.K. Jain's premises to charge politicians V.C. Shukla and L.K. Advani, alleging they received bribes through a hawala scheme. The Supreme Court examined whether the notebooks qualified as "books of account" un…

Gurcharan Singh, a customs officer, along with others, created fictitious firms to claim a duty drawback of Rs 1.04 crore for allegedly exported readymade garments that were over‑invoiced and of inferior quality. A complaint under Sections 132 and 135 of the Customs Act led to cognizance by a magistrate; the appellant’…