KOCHI: Actor Dulquer Salmaan on Friday approached the Kerala High Court challenging the seizure of one of his high-end cars by the customs department as part of Operation Numkhor. He also sought a directive for its release. He submitted that he is the registered owner of the vehicle, a Land Rover Defender, duly registered with the jurisdictional Regional Transport Authority. The court on Friday sought the view of the customs department.
According to Dulquer, he purchased the vehicle as a collector’s piece, having a passion for automobiles, and had invested considerable time and effort in ensuring that it was maintained in good condition and kept motorable. He contended that the seizure was carried out hastily, without proper enquiry or reference to any relevant material.
The action, he alleged, was arbitrary, based merely on suspicion, and lacked any reasonable belief in respect of this particular vehicle. He has been using the 2004 model vehicle for the past five years without any complaint from any quarter. There is no mechanism available for an individual purchasing a vehicle to verify details of all its previous owners since 2004.
He further submitted that the process of adjudication, including the hierarchy of appeals, is necessarily time-consuming. The customs department does not have the facilities to keep the vehicle in safe custody with proper maintenance.
As is the fate of most seized vehicles, it would end up condemned, losing all utility and relevance. By the time the proceedings conclude, the vehicle would become highly depreciated in value, stripped of utility, and effectively destroyed.
In contrast, a vehicle kept in running condition, apart from normal wear and tear, would retain both relevance and commercial value. He emphasized that no public interest is served by allowing the car to deteriorate in custody.
Hence, he sought a directive to release the vehicle, while ensuring that both ownership and possession would remain with him and that the car would be produced before the authorities whenever required for legal purposes.
Accordingly, the petitioner prayed for the release of the vehicle pending the proceedings arising from the seizure memo issued by the customs department.