TRILOK NATH MITTAL Vs. CUSTOMS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) PETITIONER Trilok Nath Mittal is facing trial in complaint Case No. 32/1/94 titled 'customs v. D. L. Anand and Ors. ', as accused No. 2 filed by respondent No. 1 Inspector (Preventive) Customs Collectorate, Delhi. The allegations against the Petitioner in the said complaint are that on 15. 03. 1992 a search was conducted in the godown at the. ground floor premises of building No. 12/21, Shaktinagar, Delhi which was in possession of Darshan Lal Anand. As a result of search 252 video cassette players and ball bearings allegedly of foreign origin collectively valued at Rs. 53,78,2507-and one bill book of M/s. Anand Auto Industries were recovered and seized. The Petitioner in the said complaint was prosecuted for offence punishable under Section 135 (1) (b) of the Customs Act, 1962. The complaint against the present petitioner was filed in the year 1994 and the learned Additional chief Metropolitan Magistrate, (ACMM) New Delhi took cognizance of the complaint and fixed the case for pre-charge evidence. The Petitioner was summoned and pre-charge evidence was concluded on 21. 07. 2006. After hearing the parties order on charge was passed on 19. 04. 2007. Against this order petitioner filed a revision petition on 13. 07. 2007 being CR No. 98/2007 which was dismissed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, New Delhi on 16. 07. 2007. Consequently, present writ petition has been filed by the petitioner seeking quashing of the order dated 19. 04. 2007 and 16. 07. 2007.

(2.) MR. T. N. Mittal, learned counsel for the Petitioner has urged that the recovery of the alleged goods i. e. video cassette players and ball bearing has not been proved and there is not an iota of evidence against the petitioner and the statement of A. Sabestian recorded under Section 108 of the customs Act was not voluntarily given and therefore no reliance could have been placed on the said evidence against the Petitioner. It is further submitted that the alleged goods were not recovered from the possession of the Petitioner and also that the impugned order of charge has been passed on the basis of no evidence as no documents supporting the statements of the witnesses as referred by them in their own statements were produced and that therefore prima facie there is no evidence on record against the petitioner to frame him for an offence allegedly committed under Section 135 (1) (b) of the Customs Act, 1962. Learned counsel for the Petitioner has referred to 'siri Chand Gupta v. Santosh Kumari and Anr. , 2008 III AD (Cr.) (DHC) 114.

(3.) MR. Satish Aggarwal, learned counsel for the respondent has refuted these submissions.