Bangalore: Five women from Sri Lanka, who claim to be on a visit to India to attend a marriage, were provided relief by the High Court of Karnataka which directed the Customs department to return their passports. The passports were 'illegally impounded' by the Customs on March 26, on their arrival at the Kempegowda International Airport, for failing to declare the gold bangles they were carrying. The Customs claimed the five were suspected of smuggling nearly one kilogram in gold.
The court took strong exception to their passport being taken away, as no law provides for such an action. The judge said that since the Sri Lankans looked more or less like Indians, they might have escaped any untoward incident for not carrying their passports in Bangalore.
The five Sri Lankan nationals; Dilruba Rauff, 22, Sithy Zuina, 52, Nafla Rauff, 52, Sithy Marliya, 43, and Noorjan, 34, were part of a group that came to Bangalore on March 26. The advocate for the Customs claimed in the HC that four gold bangles each were found on each of them. But they failed to make the declaration at immigration. Each of the bangles was a minimum of 50 grams. Three of the five women were brought before an adjudicating officer of the Customs who imposed fines ranging between Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 each.
04/04/14 Shyam Prasad S/Bangalore Mirror
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The court took strong exception to their passport being taken away, as no law provides for such an action. The judge said that since the Sri Lankans looked more or less like Indians, they might have escaped any untoward incident for not carrying their passports in Bangalore.
The five Sri Lankan nationals; Dilruba Rauff, 22, Sithy Zuina, 52, Nafla Rauff, 52, Sithy Marliya, 43, and Noorjan, 34, were part of a group that came to Bangalore on March 26. The advocate for the Customs claimed in the HC that four gold bangles each were found on each of them. But they failed to make the declaration at immigration. Each of the bangles was a minimum of 50 grams. Three of the five women were brought before an adjudicating officer of the Customs who imposed fines ranging between Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 each.
04/04/14 Shyam Prasad S/Bangalore Mirror
