(1.) In all these writ petitions the petitioners are aggrieved against the action taken under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976 ( herein after called as "the Act").
(2.) The following are the facts in common which led the petitioners to file these writ petitions.
(3.) The petitioner in W.P.No. 16342 of 2000 is the husband and the petitioners in other two writ petitions are his wives. He suffered an order of detention under COFEPOSA for a period of one year from 22.6.1984. Consequently, a notice under Section 6(1) of the said Act was issued to him on 18.2.1986 in respect of one property only in which he was having only 1/6th share. On 30.3.1986, a reply was given by him stating that it is an ancestral property and therefore not liable to be forfeited.