Here's a story about customs, containers, and a bit of courtroom drama. The Bombay High Court recently dealt with a case involving Make India Impex and a whole lot of dry dates. Let’s break it down.
Make India Impex, run by Rajesh Nakhua, found itself in a conflict with the Union of India and a few customs officials. The drama unfolded over two containers of dry dates, weighing around 56 tons.
Rajesh Nakhua's company imported dry dates, and everything seemed fine at first. The customs authorities cleared the goods on July 24, 2025, after all the necessary checks. Rajesh paid the customs duty of Rs. 6,30,361.7, and the dates were on their way to the warehouse.
"Rajesh Nakhua states that he followed all the required steps and after getting the final approval, obtained the Gate Pass around 19:25 hours and the imported goods were cleared out of the J.M. Baxi CFS at 20:30 hours on 24.07.2025."
But then, things took a turn. Mr. Sumit Kataria, a Senior Intelligence Officer, reportedly received information suggesting the dates came from Karachi, Pakistan, not Dubai as declared. This was a problem due to trade restrictions with Pakistan.
Kataria, acting on this information, made calls and allegedly pressured the customs broker and transporter to return the goods to the customs area. The goods were brought back under what Rajesh Nakhua claims was pressure.
"Rajesh Nakhua has claimed that Sumit Kataria called the Customs Broker, Transporter, and others, and started threatening them if they failed to bring the goods back into the CFS."
The court, led by Judges M.S. Sonak and Advait M. Sethna, found that the actions of Mr. Kataria were not backed by proper legal procedures. They emphasized that even if there were suspicions, the correct process had to be followed.
The court directed the customs authorities to issue a notice to Rajesh Nakhua within four weeks and resolve it within six weeks. If they fail, the goods must be released, possibly with a fine.
"If no notice is issued within four weeks, or if the same is not resolved within the timeline... the Respondents are directed to release the dry dates."
This case highlights the importance of following proper procedures and the potential chaos when they aren't. The court's decision ensures that the rule of law prevails, balancing the interests of both the authorities and Rajesh Nakhua.
And that's how a bunch of dry dates became the center of a legal storm!
