Kerala High Court Orders Release of Dulquer Salmaan’s Seized Vehicle

Kochi: The Kerala High Court delivered a strong directive to the Customs Department on Tuesday, ordering them to immediately release the vehicle belonging to actor Dulquer Salmaan. The vehicle had been seized by Customs as part of their anti-smuggling drive, Operation Numkhore, an action that drew significant criticism from the court.

Customs officials had earlier alleged that the Land Rover Discovery SUV was illegally imported from Bhutan. However, Dulquer denied the allegation, stating that he had been using the vehicle for the past five years.

As per the court’s interim order, Dulquer must file an application with the Assistant Commissioner of Customs to reclaim the vehicle. The Customs Department has been instructed to consider the application and release the vehicle under specific conditions. The single bench also clarified that if the request is denied, the authorities must provide valid reasons for the rejection.

The court raised questions about whether the vehicle was essential for the ongoing investigation, especially since the probe is largely based on documents. Dulquer offered to furnish a bank guarantee to secure the release of the vehicle.

In his petition, Dulquer stated that he purchased the Tamil Nadu-registered SUV from RP Promoters Private Limited and had been using it in good faith, believing all documents were genuine. He further alleged that the Customs Department seized the vehicle without properly verifying the paperwork he had submitted. The petition was filed after his earlier request to the Customs Commissioner for the vehicle’s release went unanswered.