CESTAT Order
CESTAT Order
New Delhi
Vs
APPEARANCE:
Ms. Vidushi Shubham, Advocate for the Appellant
Shri Mukesh Kumar Shukla, Authorized Representative for the Respondent
CORAM :
Date of Hearing:17.10.2024
Date of Decision:02.01.2025
HEMAMBIKA R. PRIYA
The present appeal has been filed by M/s Jaiswal Import Cargo
Regulation 10(b), Regulation 10(d) & 10(n) of CBLR, 2018, and vide
1 The appellant
2
2. The brief facts of the case are that the appellant is a Customs
depositing the said goods in the bonded warehouse, the said goods
Akshay Logistics where the subject imported goods were destined for
deposition, but the goods were not found. Meanwhile, vide letter F. No.
GEN/CB/292/2023-CBS-0/ PR COMMR-CUS-GEN-Zone-1-Mumbai
16(1) of the CBLR, 2018. A show cause notice dated 04.09.2023 was
license was revoked. Being aggrieved by the said order, the appellant
Triple Duty Bond with security duly executed by Importer, in the bond
customs was given by the system. After out of charge, goods were
been deposited. The ld. Counsel mentioned that the others involved
goods and none of them has stated name of the Appellant alleging any
and that Mohammad Imran Ibrahim Shaikh had used the documents of
Sh. Amol Ghare in seeking IEC and KYC documents in the name of M/s
Parhad, alias Shri Babu Wadkar, who had handed over the KYC and
had visited CFS Apollo; Shri Sunil Dubey, driver of vehicle who had
received the goods at the gate of CFS Apollo and carried the same to
owner of the instant illicit goods have accepted their roles but none of
them have stated that the appellant had any knowledge about the
has given clear finding that Dilip Shelar was H-card Holder of the CB
and has attended the customs formalities however, has given adverse
finding that all customs formalities were not completed by him and it
has been held that one Babu Ithape has approached the dock officer
for clearance of the goods. It is submitted that the instant Bill of entry
was filed after obtaining Triple duty Bond with surety, duly executed
by the Importer, which was handled and submitted to the bond section
bill of entry was registered under RMS informed vide ICEGATE's email
per RMS was prescribed for the consignment and therefore, the goods
were directly allowed for warehousing and Out of Charge was given on
13.12.2022 and after out of charge, goods were handed over to the
mention here that CB's role was limited to only filing of the B/E and he
warehouse and thus, the employee of the importer i.e. Balu Ithape
unreasoned.
10(d) stipulates that "a Customs, Broker shall advice his client to
It has been wrongly held that the Appellant did not advice the importer
about requirement of NOC from drug controller for import for home
Import. However, when NOC from the Competent Authority was duly
09.12.2022 from ICEGATE. The Ld. Counsel contended that the same
Authorities nor did he produce the same before the Inquiry Officer. As
there has been no evidence that the appellant was involved, hence,
unsustainable.
3.3. The Ld. counsel for the appellant further submitted that the
such process, the goods are filed under warehouse on triple duty bond
6
and when the importer has found a foreign buyer, a shipping bill is
filed to that extent. In the same manner, the Warehousing Bill of Entry
No. 3673416 dated 09.12.2022 was filed by the Appellant and "For re-
separate bill of entry for re-export and thus, warehousing bill of entry
found a third country buyer, no shipping bills was filed in this regard.
Regulation 10(n) of the CBLR, 2018, the Appellant had duly verified
the antecedent and correctness of IEC, KYC documents, GST and other
CBLR, 2018. He further contended that neither the SCN nor the
impugned order has alleged that the Appellant had the knowledge of
said activity and therefore, any contravention which has occurred after
the appellant might have been cheated by the H-card holder, but only
because there was alleged delayed response to the customs, does not
the Appellant in connivance with Dilip Shelar has acted in this manner.
clearance and the cancellation of H-card has not affected the said
7
Delhi3
that the Customs Broker had failed to ensure that all customs
individual named Shri Dilip Shelar did not meet the criteria of an
with provisions of relevant Acts and regulations, such as the Drugs and
Mumbai6
and perused the case records. The issue before us is whether the
Regulation 10(b) (partial), 10(d) and 10(n) of the CBLR, 2018 have
been violated.
context, we note that the Ld. Counsel submitted that the appellant’s
role was limited to only filing of the B/E and he was not authorized by
employee of the importer i.e. Balu Ithape collected the goods. We note
that Imran Ibrahim Shaikh in his statement dated 1.6.23 has admitted
that the appellant CB was not attending the further customs clearance
formalities, hence the documents were handed over to Babu Ithape for
with the provisions of the Act, other Allied Acts and rules and any non-
the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, which the CB did not advise his client at
the time of import of the goods viz., Cosmetics. The Ld Counsel has
submitted before us that the importer had been advised regarding the
requirement of the NoC and it is on record that the said NoC was
submitted that the goods had been released based on the said NoC.
We find that the appellant had filed the Bill of Entry for Warehouse for
This clearly evidences that the appellant was aware that as the NoC
11
was not available for the imported goods, hence the goods could not
us that subsequently, the said goods were released as the NoC for all
the 133 items imported vide the said Bill of Entry. Further, we take
note of the fact that the said Release Order was received from the
Officer appointed under CBLR, 2018 It is on record that the goods had
received the required NoC. The impugned order has concluded that the
appellant was not clear whether the B/E had been filed under Section
revoking the CB license. The appellant filed the B/E as per procedure
We note that as per section 146 of the Customs Act, the role of a
appellant was not responsible for the deposition of the goods to the
warehouse. We also note that the persons controlling the importer firm
had acted on their own accord to defraud the revenue, and there is no
Rubber Works Ltd., [1999 -2-SC 553] wherein the Hon’ble Court held
arranging release of goods and once the goods are cleared, he has no
further function and he is not liable for any action of the importer.
12
CBLR, 2018.
9. We find that the impugned order has also held that the appellant
importer such as IEC, GSTIN, Axis Bank letter regarding the AD code,
copy of the PAN and Aadhar card of the proprietor Importer. There is
This has been done by the appellant. We note that the Delhi High
Court in a similar case, (CUSAA No. 2/2022) and vide judgment dated
18.1. The Commissioner and the learned Tribunal have held that
the Appellant failed to verify the identity of the importer firms and
had dealt with and exchanged the documents for filing before the
customs duty.
18.2. The Appellant has stated that he relied upon the result of
of the importer. It is stated that the IEC number was duly verified
The IEC number was standing in the name of the importer firms
wherein this Court held that when an importer firm holds an IEC,
bills, this itself reflects that before the grant of said IE Code,
too onerous to expect the CHA to inquire into and verify the
regard i.e. KYC etc. would have been done by the customs
did not corroborate with what was declared in the shipping bills,
filed in the belief and faith that its client has furnished correct
the shipping bills. Apropos any doubt about the issuance of the
16
(Emphasis supplied)
these firms are dummy firms which are controlled by third parties
was a fact which was not within the knowledge of the Appellant
while he was initially dealing with the said firms for clearance of
after the goods had already been cleared by the Customs Station.
since the Aadhar Card which is alleged to have been forged has
20. This Court has perused the record. In the facts of this case,
firms. The finding of DRI is that these importer firms were not
firms are fictitious and do not exist. The finding is that these firms
are being run and remotely controlled by Mr. Sanjeev Maggu and
firms) and in the facts of this case since the clients (i.e.,
allowed.
(HEMAMBIKA R. PRIYA)
MEMBER (TECHNICAL)
G.Y.