Interpretation of the phrase "reason to believe" u/s 110 of the ...

Customs officer lacked valid reasons to seize dried areca nuts based on mere opinion of their foreign origin.

Case Laws     Customs

September 30, 2024

Interpretation of the phrase "reason to believe" u/s 110 of the Customs Act, which is a crucial safeguard for authorizing officers to conduct searches. The court examined the legal principles governing "reason to believe," emphasizing that it cannot be arbitrary, capricious, or whimsical, and must be based on material evidence. The officer must independently apply their mind and not merely reproduce statutory words mechanically. The reasons must be self-explanatory and cannot be supported by extraneous material. In the present case, the suspected opinion of local traders that the seized dried areca nuts were of foreign origin was deemed unreliable and unacceptable, as their origin could not be conclusively determined by mere visual inspection. The court held that the seizure memo lacked valid reasons and set it aside, discharging the bank guarantee and ordering the release of the seized goods within three months.

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