Dinesh Kumar Dhingra v. Commissioner of Customs New Delhi
Case brief
What is this about?
W.P.(C) 3291/2026, Delhi High Court, order dated 16.03.2026 (Sambre & Digpaul, JJ.). Customs gold detention (detention receipt 28.10.2024), confiscation by Order-in-Original 30.07.2025 including two I-phones; statutory pre-deposit Rs. 45,000 paid 07.08.2025; appeal not filed in time by instructed lawyer; writ sought condonation of delay and acceptance of appeal. Court exercised extraordinary writ jurisdiction on bona fide pre-deposit, directing Commissioner of Customs (appellate authority) to accept appeal tendered within one week/two-week outer limit, with Rs. 5,000 cost to DHCBA Costs Account (UCO Bank a/c 15530110179338). Keywords: condonation of delay, acceptance of appeal, pre-deposit, bona fides, extraordinary jurisdiction, customs confiscation, cost imposition, petition disposed of.
What did the court decide?
Direction to the respondent appellate authority to accept the petitioner's appeal if tendered within one week (with the chance lapsing if not tendered within two weeks), conditional on payment of Rs. 5,000/- cost to the D.H.C.B.A. Costs Account within two weeks; the writ petition, along with pending applications if any, disposed of.