Kochi: The Kerala High Court has granted significant relief to actor Dulquer Salmaan, allowing him to approach the Customs Department to reclaim his seized Land Rover Defender, which was confiscated as part of Operation Nummkhor—a nationwide probe into luxury car tax evasion.
The court directed Customs officials to decide within a week of receiving Dulquer’s formal application for the vehicle’s release. Justice Ziad Rahman observed that the actor can move the adjudicating authority under Section 110A of the Customs Act by furnishing the required ownership documents, including 20 years of vehicle records.
While permitting Dulquer to seek release of the vehicle, the court clarified that Customs authorities may impose suitable conditions to ensure compliance. If his plea is rejected, the actor can reapproach the High Court for further relief.
The court refrained from intervening in the ongoing investigation, noting that the probe into alleged fake registration and tax evasion involving imported luxury cars from Bhutan is still at an early stage.
The vehicle was seized from Dulquer’s Kochi residence during Operation Nummkhor, which targets a racket importing high-end vehicles into India using fraudulent registration papers to avoid hefty import duties.
As part of the same operation, officials have also seized 11 other luxury cars from various locations in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. The Customs Department is continuing its investigation to identify all individuals involved in the illegal import network.
