LI Network
Published on: January 1, 2024 at 11:00 IST
The Bombay High Court has instructed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Maharashtra Excise Department to conduct an inquiry into the actions of excise officials accused of unlawfully seizing a company’s ethanol, allegedly prompted by the company’s competitors.
The Court, comprising Justice GS Kulkarni and Justice Jitendra Jain, observed that the officials’ conduct appeared to harm the company’s reputation and business interests, acting on the behest of competitors.
The Court expressed disapproval of the officers’ actions, including posing in photographs with seized ethanol, creating the impression of illegal activities.
The Court deemed such conduct objectionable and beyond the scope of their duties.
The case involves a writ petition by chemical importer K Raj & Company challenging the excise authorities’ seizure of goods.
The Court noted that the seizure contradicted previous Court orders stating that the goods, specifically ethanol, were not covered by the Bombay Prohibition Act.
The Court directed the immediate release of the seized goods to the petitioners and ordered an inquiry into the conduct of the excise officials involved.
The inquiry will also investigate the involvement of private parties at whose behest the seizure may have occurred and examine insinuations in newspaper reports against the petitioners.
The Court emphasized the need to restore trust in the rule of law and urged the inquiry to be completed within three weeks, with the report due on January 9, 2024.
Case Title: K. Raj & Company & Anr. v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.