JAYASHREE CHANDRAKANT DHAVRE Vs. UNION OF INDIA,

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. The Respondents waive service. Taken up for disposal.

(2.) The Petitioner is the wife of deceased Informer who provided specific information to the office of the Marine and Preventive Wing of the Mumbai Commissionerate of Customs which led to seizure of smuggled goods. The Petitioner is before us with a grievance that the reward which is given to the Informers as per the policy is unjustifiably withheld.

(3.) The Central Board of Excise and Customs (Anti-Smuggling Unit) issued Circular No. 20/2015 on 31/7/2015 titled "Guidelines for grant of reward to Informers and Government Servants, 2015". At the title suggests these guidelines are applicable to the grant of reward to Informers and Government Servants in respect of cases of seizure made out/or infringements/evasion of duty/service tax etc., detected under the Customs Act, 1962 and others. Part-I of the Circular deals with the principles governing the grant of reward. The reward to be given under this policy is an exgratia payment, subject to conditions and it is not to be claimed as a matter of right. We will refer to the clauses as applicable to the Informers.