WINSTON TAN Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted.

(2.) The forfeiture of Flat No. 4, Kamala Mansion, Ground Floor, Promenade Place, No. 45/2, Promenade Road, Bangalore 560 042 under Section 7 of the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976, to be referred as 'SAFEMA', is the subject matter in this Appeal. Col. K. M. Somana (Retd. ) was the original owner of that flat. On 20.3.1997, he sold the flat to Mohd. Ismail Shabandari and his wife Fathima Kauser Ismail by a sale deed which was registered in the office of the Sub-Registrar, Bangalore.

(3.) Mohd. Ismail Shabandari was detained under Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (for short, 'COFEPOSA') on 2.5.2003. The detention order came to be passed at the instance of the Enforcement Directorate, Bangalore; his premises were searched on 31.7.2002. In that search Indian Currency of Rs. 13,50,000/- along with incriminating materials showing illegal transfer of money from abroad was seized. The documents seized from the residence of Mohd. Ismail Shabandari on 31.7.2002 by the Enforcement Directorate also indicated that he had received Rs. 92,09,480/- from different persons as instructed by one Hussain Sherrif of Dubai and he had made payments in India to various persons to the tune of Rs. 78,59,480/- leaving a balance of Rs. 13,50,000/- which was seized at the time of search. It was in this backdrop that the order dated 2.5.2003 for detention of Mohd. Ismail Shabandari came to be passed by the Competent Authority.