M L ANAND Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioner, who was working as Section Officer in the Ministry of External Affairs, was posted in Mozambique, Africa during the period 1984-86. He returned to India on 1.10.1986. Petitioner by this writ petition, seeks quashing of the letter dated 29.3.1996 of the Ministry of External Affairs rejecting petitioner's representation for repatriation of sale proceeds of the car and holding that draft of Rs. 14,950/- was in order.

(2.) Petitioner also seeks a direction to the Union of India to pay a sum of Rs. 61,290.96 (Rupees sixty-one thousand two hundred ninety and ninety-six paise only) with interest at 24 per cent per annum from the date of deposit. Petitioner also prays for award of costs.

(3.) By letter dated 29.3.1996, appearing at page 26 of the paper book, respondent remitted to the petitioner a sum of Rs. 14,950/- (Rupees fourteen thousand nine hundred and fifty only) by a Reserve Bank of India bank draft issued by the Embassy of India at Maputo, Mozambique. The said amount which was remitted represented the rupee equivalent of sale proceeds of the Mazda car sold by the petitioner prior to returning to India. The amount had been computed by the respondent at the then prevailing commercial rate of exchange. Petitioner's case is that he was entitled to repatriate and be paid the amount in Indian rupees converted on the basis of prevailing official exchange rate.