Making Passenger approach Court for 21g Gold Ring Unreasonable: Delhi HC Slams ‘Waste of Customs Resources’, Imposes ₹5k Costs on Dept [Read Order]

The Delhi High Court condemned the Customs Department harshly for forcing a traveler to come to the court to request the release of a 21-gram gold band, calling the entire incident an unjustified waste of departmental resources. The Department was also fined ₹5,000 for its actions.

JusticePrathiba M. Singh and Justice Shail Jain observed that “The Petitioner has been compelled to file the present writ petition to seek release of a 21 grams gold ring, which this Court finds quite

Unreasonable.”

"The present is a case which shows how the resources of the Customs Department are completely wasted away in such matters," said the court openly.

The fact is that a writ petition was filed by Ms. Sayara, whose gold ring weighing 21 grams was seized by Customs authorities on 14 July 2024 upon her arrival at IGI Airport, New Delhi, from Dubai.

The petitioner contended that the seized ring was personal jewellery, received as a gift from her brother-in-law, and formed part of her personal effects. Also, an adjudication order dated 21 July 2025 had already directed unconditional release of the ring, holding that it was not liable to confiscation under the Customs Act, 1962.

Despite the adjudication order being in the petitioner’s favour, the ring was not released, forcing her to move the High Court.

There was uncertainty throughout the proceedings over whether the Department had appealed the adjudication order.

The petitioner later recorded an official letter dated December 9, 2025, stating that the Customs Department had accepted the adjudication order, despite the Department's earlier suggestion that an appeal was underway. The Court observed that the writ petition would not have been necessary at all if the order had been enforced immediately.

Following a thorough examination of the adjudication order, the Division Bench noted that the adjudicating authority had clearly determined that the gold ring was personal jewelry of Indian origin, falling under the category of "personal effects," and thus not imported goods.

Additionally, the adjudicating authority decided that the petitioner had not broken any laws and declined to impose any obligations, fines, or penalties.

The High Court went a step further and questioned the detention of the ring at the airport, observing that when the item involved is a small piece of personal jewellery, such as a ring being worn or received as a gift, detention itself was completely misplaced.

The Court also observed that making a passenger litigate over a 21-gram ring valued at about ₹1.42 lakh reflected a lack of application of mind and resulted in avoidable wastage of public resources.

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Therefore, considering delay and inaction, directed that the adjudication order be implemented forthwith, ordered the immediate release of the gold ring without payment of warehousing charges, and nominated a Customs Nodal Officer to facilitate compliance.

Additionally, the Court imposed ₹5,000 as costs on the Customs Department, payable to the petitioner, for compelling her to approach the Court unnecessarily.

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