Relief for Dulquer Salmaan: Court questions customs' 'reason to believe' in car seizure, asked to decide on release

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has allowed actor Dulquer Salmaan to file an application for the provisional release of his 2004 Land Rover Defender, seized by the Customs Preventive Department during 'Operation Numkhor'. Justice Ziyad Rahman A A directed the customs authorities to decide on the plea within one week, emphasising that provisional release is a right under Section 110A of the Customs Act and any rejection must be accompanied by a detailed, reasoned order.

The vehicle was seized on September 23 from Dulquer’s residence in Kochi as part of a statewide crackdown on luxury cars allegedly smuggled from Bhutan using forged documents. The actor, who purchased the car from Aarpee Promotors Pvt Ltd, originally imported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), claimed he had no knowledge of any irregularities and was using it in good faith. The court questioned the customs department’s “reason to believe” for the seizure, noting the lack of concrete evidence and the vehicle’s long-standing legal registration and use in India. The investigation, which also targeted properties of actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Amit Chakkalackal, has uncovered links to tax evasion, money laundering, and possible terrorist funding.

With inputs from PTI