Sandalwood Import Cap Challenged as Obsolete, Matter Referred to DGFT

Shaleen Jain Vs Union of India & Ors (Delhi High Court) The petitioner, a small-scale trader engaged in the import and processing of sandalwood, challenged the prevailing import policy imposing a quantitative ceiling of 5,000 cubic meters on sandalwood imports, as prescribed under policy circulars dated 07.04.2006 and 31.12.2007. The petition assailed these restrictions as violative of the petitioner’s fundamental right to carry on trade under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India, contending that the ceiling had become obsolete and had outlived its original purpose. It was furth...