The Hindu : Duty exemption: court takes suo motu note

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 14, 2003

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Duty exemption: court takes suo motu note

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI AUG. 13. The Delhi High Court today issued notice to the former Indian cricket captain, Sachin Tendulkar, taking suo motu note of a customs duty exemption of Rs. 1.13 crores on the import of a Ferrari gifted to the batsman.

Taking notice of the matter on the basis of media reports published on August 10, Vikramjit Sen directed that notice be served to the ace cricketer through the Mumbai Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The court also issued notices to the Union Ministry of Finance and the Union Ministry of Sports. The matter will now come up for hearing on August 19. Justice Sen said the matter was of public importance and warranted examination under the public interest jurisdiction of this court.

The judge appointed Arjun Bhandari, a Delhi High Court lawyer, as amicus curae in the matter. Mr. Bhandari submitted that he would file a formal writ petition. The judge ordered that the writ petition to be filed by Mr. Bhandari along with the order of this court be listed for hearing before the designated bench hearing PILs.

The judge observed that the grant of duty exemption exemplified profligacy in spending on cricket and parsimony so far as other games were concerned.

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