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Issues involved: Challenge to suspension of appellant's CHA license for handling bills of entry declaring goods as unbranded mobile phones when they were actually mobile accessories of prominent brands.
Summary: The appellant, a CHA with 17 years of experience, faced suspension of their license for handling bills of entry declaring goods as unbranded mobile phones, which were actually branded mobile accessories. The Commissioner alleged that the appellant knowingly aided the importer in importing high-value branded items under false declarations. The appellant argued that they were unaware of the branded nature of the goods, primarily dealt with imports by industrial and corporate houses, and had no prior objections raised by the Revenue for any irregularities. The appellant had already undergone a 7-month suspension, during which they handled goods worth Rs. 80 crores without any irregularities. The appellant requested the suspension to be revoked, citing lack of evidence of deliberate wrongdoing and ongoing proceedings against the main importer. The JDR contended that immediate suspension was warranted due to the discrepancy in declarations. After considering the submissions and the appellant's clean record over 18 years of service, the Tribunal found the suspension unjustified. Citing precedents where 6 months of suspension was deemed sufficient punishment for CHAs, the Tribunal noted the difficulty for CHAs to verify the physical nature of goods declared by importers. As the goods were found to match the importer's declarations, the Tribunal set aside the suspension order by the Commissioner and granted relief to the appellant, allowing them to resume operations with a commitment not to handle imports by individuals until the matter was resolved.
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