A senior official of the Customs Department appeared before the Madras High Court on Friday in connection with a case of contempt against him.
Earlier, one T.Elavarasan of Cuddalore, who was working in a construction company in Singapore, submitted that in view of his wedding he purchased seven gold chains weighing 350 gm in Singapore. When he arrived at the airport here on September 4 last year, he declared the jewellery. Without accepting the same, Customs officials took his passport. His repeated requests to the authorities to release the gold jewellery and his passport were in vain.
He moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the authorities to release the jewellery on payment of duty. The court allowed the petition. The Customs authorities preferred an appeal and a Division Bench disposed of the appeal with a slight modification to the single judge's order. The petitioner said he received the order copy on April 1 this year and he made a representation to the Customs seeking release of the jewellery. But his efforts were in vain. Hence, the present contempt petition.
On Thursday, the First Bench comprising the Chief Justice M.Y.Eqbal and Justice T.S.Sivagnanam had said if the order in the appeal was not being complied with by Friday, the Additional Commissioner, Customs, should appear.
Accordingly, P.Subramaniam, Additional Commissioner of Customs (Airport) appeared.
Customs counsel sought permission to move the Supreme Court. This was granted. The Bench posted the matter for June 6 to enable the authorities to bring an appropriate order from the Supreme Court.
In the meantime, the proceedings before the Customs would remain stayed. The Bench dispensed with the further appearance of the officer.
