Minha And Riza Agro Vs Joint Commissioner of Customs (Madras High Court)
The Madras High Court in Minha And Riza Agro vs Joint Commissioner of Customs [W.P. No. XYZ of 2025, order dated 04.07.2025] dismissed a writ petition challenging the seizure of meat shipments and the imposition of penalties by the Customs authorities. The petitioner, a meat exporter, sought relief for consignments of “Indian Halal Frozen Boneless Buffalo Meat” intended for the United Arab Emirates and other countries. The shipments were processed at an approved slaughterhouse in Andhra Pradesh and certified by Telangana authorities as fit for export. Based on these certifications, the petitioner filed shipping bills, and the goods were prepared for dispatch.
However, the Customs authorities withheld the goods citing instructions from an unspecified source. During inspection, authorities allegedly conducted sampling, which reportedly revealed that the petitioner attempted to export prohibited Ox/Bull meat instead of buffalo meat. The Customs department concluded that the petitioner had willfully attempted to export prohibited goods and had failed to exercise the opportunity for re-testing the samples. Consequently, the authorities imposed penalties and ordered confiscation of the consignments. In response, the petitioner filed the writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, contending that the sample was taken without the petitioner’s presence, in violation of Section 144 of the Customs Act, and that the goods were perishable, causing potential irreparable loss.
