On Tuesday, October 7, the Kerala High Court asked the Customs Department to explain why they seized actor Dulquer Salmaan’s Land Rover. The court said the officials had not given enough reasons or proof for taking the car, according to Live Law. The seizure is part of Operation Numkhor, a big investigation into the suspected smuggling of luxury cars.
During the hearing, Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A., who is handling Dulquer’s petition, asked customs officials to specify the documents and evidence supporting their actions. “What are the documents? What evidence do you have in respect of this? With respect to maintainability, I am not ready to accept your contention. The question is entertainability, not maintainability. If it is seized without following any procedure, nothing would preclude this Court from interfering. What is the “reason to believe”?” the judge asked.
The court further observed, “Is it not necessary that even without substantiating anything, furnishing anything, you can simply reproduce the section? At least what the illegality is should be mentioned.”
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Dulquer had approached the Kerala High Court on September 26 following the seizure of his 2004 Land Rover Defender, which he reportedly purchased last year. The confiscation occurred during raids where authorities seized 38 high-end luxury cars suspected to have been smuggled into India from Bhutan using forged documents.
What is Operation Numkhor?
Operation Numkhor, named after the Bhutanese word for “vehicle,” targeted approximately 30 locations across Kerala, including the residences of actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan, and Amit Chakkalackal.
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