SUNITA GODARA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Rule D.B.

(2.) The petitioner is an athlete two received invitation for taking part in the marathon which was to be run in Malaysia. The Amateur Athletic Federation of India wrote to the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, Goverament of India and obtained clearance for the petitioner to participate in the said event. Vide letter dated 28th February, 1991, the Government informed the Honorary Secretary of the said Federation that the Government had no objection to the petitioner representing India in defending her title in 1991.

(3.) The petitioner took part in the race on 8th March, 1991 and stood first. It is alleged in the petition that in February, 1991 the organisers of the maratbon bad issued a list of prizes. One of the prizes which was announced was a Mercedes Benz car of a value less than U.S. $ 30,000, The petitioner wrote to the Government on 27th March, 1991 for customs clearance certificate to enable her to import the Mercedes Benz car which she bad won, without payment of Customs duty. On 10th April, 1991, a letter was written from the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Human Resource Development to the Department of Revenue to the effect that the petitioner had been cleared by the said Department to take part in the event and that she bad produced necessary evidence to show that the prize had been announced prior to the race. Documents were forwarded to the Department of Revenue for giving necessary customs exemption to the petitioner.