SANJAY KUMAR DIDWANIA Vs. INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard learned counsel for the parties.

(2.) By these Applications, the Applicants seek their enlargement on bail in connection with F. No. DRI/MZU/C/INT- 102/2019 in RA/122/2019 pending before the 8th Court, Esplanade, Mumbai for the alleged offence punishable under Section 135 of the Customs Act, 1962.

(3.) Perused the papers. According to the Respondent No. 1 - DRI, Mumbai Zonal Unit, they have received certain information, about alleged smuggling of foreign marked gold bars to Mumbai from different cities of India, by domestic airlines. It is alleged that after getting the said goods cleared from the Concor Air Ltd, the agency handling the Domestic Cargo, the foreign marked gold bars were to be delivered to different persons / jewellers in Mumbai. On receipt of the said information, the DRI arrived at Concor Air Ltd., and examined the said parcels on 14.06.2019, resulting in recovery of 32.200 kgs of foreign marked gold bars and cut pieces of foreign marked gold bars. The aforesaid Applicants were consignees of the said parcels. The Applicants are in the business of courier services. The said gold bars and cut piece of foreign marked gold bars were seized by the DRI authorities under the Customs Act, as they were under the reasonable belief that the foreign marked gold bars were smuggled in the country.