{"id":243325,"date":"2009-02-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-02-15T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/commnr-of-customspreventive-vs-ms-aafloat-textiles-i-on-16-february-2009"},"modified":"2018-03-15T00:02:08","modified_gmt":"2018-03-14T18:32:08","slug":"commnr-of-customspreventive-vs-ms-aafloat-textiles-i-on-16-february-2009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/commnr-of-customspreventive-vs-ms-aafloat-textiles-i-on-16-february-2009","title":{"rendered":"Commnr. Of Customs(Preventive) vs M\/S. Aafloat Textiles (I) &#8230; on 16 February, 2009"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Supreme Court of India<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">Commnr. Of Customs(Preventive) vs M\/S. Aafloat Textiles (I) &#8230; on 16 February, 2009<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_author\">Author: . A Pasayat<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_bench\">Bench: Arijit Pasayat, Mukundakam Sharma<\/div>\n<pre>                                                                       REPORTABLE\n\n\n\n                  IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA\n\n                   CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION\n\n                    CIVIL APEPAL NO. 2447 OF 2007\n\n\n\nCommnr. of Customs (Preventive)                         ...Appellant\n\n\n\n                                   Versus\n\n\n\nM\/s Aafloat Textiles (I) Pvt.Ltd. and Ors.              ...Respondents\n\n\n\n                             JUDGMENT\n<\/pre>\n<p>Dr. ARIJIT PASAYAT, J.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>1.    Challenge in this appeal is to the order passed by the Customs, Excise<\/p>\n<p>and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal, West Zonal Bench at Mumbai (in short<\/p>\n<p>the `CESTAT&#8217;). Challenge before the CESTAT was to the order of<\/p>\n<p>Commissioner of Customs who confirmed the duty demand of<br \/>\nRs.6,69,40,149\/- on 9 consignments of gold and silver imported by M\/s<\/p>\n<p>Aafloat Textiles (India) Ltd. (Formerly known as M\/s Akai Impex Ltd.)<\/p>\n<p>under Section 28 alongwith appropriate interest under Section 28AB of the<\/p>\n<p>Customs Act, 1962 (in short the `Act&#8217;). The benefit of exemption in terms<\/p>\n<p>of Notification No.117\/94-Cus. Dated 27.4.1997 was denied and liability of<\/p>\n<p>the goods to confiscation under Section 111(d) and (o) of the Act was<\/p>\n<p>upheld. But since the goods were not available, confiscation was not<\/p>\n<p>ordered. Penalty equal to duty amount on the importer under Section 114A<\/p>\n<p>of the Act was imposed and Rs.50 lakhs was imposed on Shri Mahendra<\/p>\n<p>Shah and Rs.25 lakhs each on four other appellants before the CESTAT.<\/p>\n<p>2.    Case of the department that the Special Import License (in short<\/p>\n<p>`SIL&#8217;) purchased by the importer from brokers for clearance of gold and<\/p>\n<p>silver was forged and, therefore, was not valid for the consignments in<\/p>\n<p>question.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>3.    Background facts as emerging from the Commissioner&#8217;s order are that<\/p>\n<p>the office premises of one M\/s. Gazebo and M\/s. Mahavir Corporation, were<\/p>\n<p>searched by officers of DRI and copy of SIL No.3536539 dated 6.8.1997<\/p>\n<p>issued to M\/s. Track Industries, Kanpur, was recovered. The Joint Director<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                        2<\/span><br \/>\nGeneral of Foreign Trade, Kanpur informed that no such licence had been<\/p>\n<p>issued and that the signature and security seal of their Foreign Trade<\/p>\n<p>Development Officer had been forged. The proprietor of M\/s Gazebo, Shri<\/p>\n<p>R.T. Shah stated on 19.1.1998 that he had purchased the above bogus SIL<\/p>\n<p>from one Shri Sushil Kumar Lohia who, in turn admitted that the SIL was<\/p>\n<p>given to him by one Shri Manoj Kumar Jain and that he had obtained<\/p>\n<p>several bogus SILs from one Naresh Sheth and Shri Dinesh Buchasia,<\/p>\n<p>whose residential premises were searched and certain documents were<\/p>\n<p>recovered and his statement was recorded, wherein he stated that he had<\/p>\n<p>only dealt in 7 SILs which he bought at low premium from one Rajesh<\/p>\n<p>Chopra and that the SILs were forged. Shri Shinivas Pannalal Kalantri,<\/p>\n<p>General Manager of the importer company stated that gold\/silver had been<\/p>\n<p>imported under SIL during the year 1996-97 and 1997-98, that one M\/s.<\/p>\n<p>Lalbhai Trading Co. and two others were the clearing agents; that Shri<\/p>\n<p>Prakash Mohta of Finance Department looked after the purchase of SILs.<\/p>\n<p>The Chairman of the importer company stated that he looked after<\/p>\n<p>negotiation and purchase of bullion and sale of bullion; that Shri Prakash<\/p>\n<p>Mohta looked after purchase of licences, clearance of goods, delivery,<\/p>\n<p>payment to supplier etc. and that licence brokers through whom SILs were<\/p>\n<p>purchased and whom he knew, were Mr. Pachisia and Mr. Ketan Shah. The<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                      3<\/span><br \/>\nstatement of Shri Prakash Mohta, was also recorded in which he confirmed<\/p>\n<p>that he was looking after purchase of SILs for import of bullion and<\/p>\n<p>subsequently selling them in the local market. Shri Mahendra Shah stated<\/p>\n<p>that he had sold bogus SILs to the importer company. Shri Rasiklal Mehta<\/p>\n<p>stated that he and one AtuI Garodia met one Shri D.R. Gulati in Bombay<\/p>\n<p>who told that he could provide bogus SIL for which he would charge 3% to<\/p>\n<p>4% premium, that Shri Gulati used to provide bogus SILs and Shri Garodia<\/p>\n<p>used to sell them in market and give them a premium of 3%.<\/p>\n<p>4.    The demand was confirmed under the proviso to Section 28(1) of the<\/p>\n<p>Act. The stand of the revenue that since the licenses were forged and were<\/p>\n<p>void, the buyer cannot have better title than the seller. CESTAT in appeal<\/p>\n<p>was of the view that the appeal could be disposed only on the ground of<\/p>\n<p>limitation without going into the merits of the matter. It was observed that<\/p>\n<p>there was no evidence to show that the importer had knowledge about the<\/p>\n<p>SIL being non- genuine.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>5.    It was also stated that the period of limitation is not to be reckoned<\/p>\n<p>from the date of discovery of the forgery. Accordingly, the demands<\/p>\n<p>including the penalty imposed were cancelled.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                        4<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<p>6.    In support of the appeal, learned counsel for the appellant submitted<\/p>\n<p>that since the SIL involved was established to be forged there was no<\/p>\n<p>question of denying the extended period of limitation.<\/p>\n<p>7.    Learned counsel for the respondents on the other hand submitted that<\/p>\n<p>the department has not established that the buyer had knowledge about the<\/p>\n<p>forgery. The mens rea being one of the ingredients to avail extended period<\/p>\n<p>of limitation the CESTAT was justified in its conclusions.<\/p>\n<p>8.    As noted above, the CESTAT has not gone into the question whether<\/p>\n<p>the SIL involved was genuine or not. It was of the view that the department<\/p>\n<p>has not established that buyer had knowledge that there was any forgery<\/p>\n<p>involved.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>9.    &#8220;fraud&#8221; means an intention to deceive; whether it is from any<\/p>\n<p>expectation of advantage to the party himself or from the ill will towards<\/p>\n<p>the other is immaterial. The expression &#8220;fraud&#8221; involves two elements,<\/p>\n<p>deceit and injury to the person deceived. Injury is something other than<\/p>\n<p>economic loss, that is, deprivation of property, whether movable or<\/p>\n<p>immovable or of money and it will include and any harm whatever caused<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                       5<\/span><br \/>\nto any person in body, mind, reputation or such others. In short, it is a non-<\/p>\n<p>economic or non-pecuniary loss. A benefit or advantage to the deceiver,<\/p>\n<p>will almost always call loss or detriment to the deceived. Even in those rare<\/p>\n<p>cases where there is a benefit or advantage to the deceiver, but no<\/p>\n<p>corresponding loss to the deceived, the second condition is satisfied. <a href=\"\/doc\/1035719\/\">(See<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Vimla v. Delhi Administration<\/a> (1963 Supp. 2 SCR 585) and <a href=\"\/doc\/309650\/\">Indian<\/p>\n<p>Bank v. Satyam Febres (India) Pvt. Ltd.<\/a> (1996 (5) SCC 550).<\/p>\n<p>10.      A &#8220;fraud&#8221; is an act of deliberate deception with the design of<\/p>\n<p>securing something by taking unfair advantage of another. It is a deception<\/p>\n<p>in order to gain by another&#8217;s loss. It is a cheating intended to get an<\/p>\n<p>advantage. <a href=\"\/doc\/1855116\/\">(See S.P. Changalvaraya Naidu v. Jagannath<\/a> (1994 (1) SCC 1).<\/p>\n<p>11.      &#8220;Fraud&#8221; as is well known vitiates every solemn act. Fraud and justice<\/p>\n<p>never dwell together. Fraud is a conduct either by letter or words, which<\/p>\n<p>includes the other person or authority to take a definite determinative stand<\/p>\n<p>as a response to the conduct of the former either by words or letter. It is<\/p>\n<p>also well settled that misrepresentation itself amounts to fraud. Indeed,<\/p>\n<p>innocent misrepresentation may also give reason to claim relief against<\/p>\n<p>fraud.     A fraudulent misrepresentation is called deceit and consists in<\/p>\n<p>leading a man into damage by willfully or recklessly causing him to believe<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                          6<\/span><br \/>\nand act on falsehood. It is a fraud in law if a party makes representations,<\/p>\n<p>which he knows to be false, and injury ensues therefrom although the<\/p>\n<p>motive from which the representations proceeded may not have been bad.<\/p>\n<p>An act of fraud on court is always viewed seriously.          A collusion or<\/p>\n<p>conspiracy with a view to deprive the rights of the others in relation to a<\/p>\n<p>property would render the transaction void ab initio. Fraud and deception<\/p>\n<p>are synonymous. Although in a given case a deception may not amount to<\/p>\n<p>fraud, fraud is anathema to all equitable principles and any affair tainted<\/p>\n<p>with fraud cannot be perpetuated or saved by the application of any<\/p>\n<p>equitable doctrine including res judicata.     <a href=\"\/doc\/371933\/\">(See Ram Chandra Singh v.<\/p>\n<p>Savitri Devi and Ors.<\/a> (2003 (8) SCC 319).\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>12.   &#8220;Fraud&#8221; and collusion vitiate even the most solemn proceedings in<\/p>\n<p>any civilized system of jurisprudence. It is a concept descriptive of human<\/p>\n<p>conduct. Michael Levi likens a fraudster to Milton&#8217;s sorcerer, Comus, who<\/p>\n<p>exulted in his ability to, `wing me into the easy hearted man and trap him<\/p>\n<p>into snares&#8217;. It has been defined as an act of trickery or deceit. In Webster&#8217;s<\/p>\n<p>Third New International Dictionary &#8220;fraud&#8221; in equity has been defined as an<\/p>\n<p>act or omission to act or concealment by which one person obtains an<\/p>\n<p>advantage against conscience over another or which equity or public policy<\/p>\n<p>forbids as being prejudicial to another.      In Black&#8217;s Legal Dictionary,<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                           7<\/span><br \/>\n&#8220;fraud&#8221; is defined as an intentional perversion of truth for the purpose of<\/p>\n<p>inducing another in reliance upon it to part with some valuable thing<\/p>\n<p>belonging to him or surrender a legal right; a false representation of a<\/p>\n<p>matter of fact whether by words or by conduct, by false or misleading<\/p>\n<p>allegations, or by concealment of that which should have been disclosed,<\/p>\n<p>which deceives and is intended to deceive another so that he shall act upon<\/p>\n<p>it to his legal injury. In Concise Oxford Dictionary, it has been defined as<\/p>\n<p>criminal deception, use of false representation to gain unjust advantage;<\/p>\n<p>dishonest artifice or trick. According to Halsbury&#8217;s Laws of England, a<\/p>\n<p>representation   is   deemed to     have    been   false,   and   therefore       a<\/p>\n<p>misrepresentation, if it was at the material date false in substance and in<\/p>\n<p>fact. Section 17 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 defines &#8220;fraud&#8221; as act<\/p>\n<p>committed by a party to a contract with intent to deceive another. From<\/p>\n<p>dictionary meaning or even otherwise fraud arises out of deliberate active<\/p>\n<p>role of representator about a fact, which he knows to be untrue yet he<\/p>\n<p>succeeds in misleading the representee by making him believe it to be true.<\/p>\n<p>The representation to become fraudulent must be of fact with knowledge<\/p>\n<p>that it was false. In a leading English case i.e. Derry and Ors. v. Peek (1886-<\/p>\n<p>90) All ER 1 what constitutes &#8220;fraud&#8221; was described thus: (All ER p. 22 B-<\/p>\n<p>C) &#8220;fraud&#8221; is proved when it is shown that a false representation has been<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                              8<\/span><br \/>\nmade (i) knowingly, or (ii) without belief in its truth, or (iii) recklessly,<\/p>\n<p>careless whether it be true or false&#8221;. But &#8220;fraud&#8221; in public law is not the<\/p>\n<p>same as &#8220;fraud&#8221; in private law. Nor can the ingredients, which establish<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;fraud&#8221; in commercial transaction, be of assistance in determining fraud in<\/p>\n<p>Administrative Law. It has been aptly observed by Lord Bridge in Khawaja<\/p>\n<p>v. Secretary of State for Home Deptt. (1983) 1 All ER 765, that it is<\/p>\n<p>dangerous to introduce maxims of common law as to effect of fraud while<\/p>\n<p>determining fraud in relation of statutory law. &#8220;Fraud&#8221; in relation to statute<\/p>\n<p>must be a colourable transaction to evade the provisions of a statute. &#8220;If a<\/p>\n<p>statute has been passed for some one particular purpose, a court of law will<\/p>\n<p>not countenance any attempt which may be made to extend the operation of<\/p>\n<p>the Act to something else which is quite foreign to its object and beyond its<\/p>\n<p>scope. Present day concept of fraud on statute has veered round abuse of<\/p>\n<p>power or mala fide exercise of power. It may arise due to overstepping the<\/p>\n<p>limits of power or defeating the provision of statute by adopting subterfuge<\/p>\n<p>or the power may be exercised for extraneous or irrelevant considerations.<\/p>\n<p>The colour of fraud in public law or administration law, as it is developing,<\/p>\n<p>is assuming different shades. It arises from a deception committed by<\/p>\n<p>disclosure of incorrect facts knowingly and deliberately to invoke exercise<\/p>\n<p>of power and procure an order from an authority or tribunal. It must result<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                          9<\/span><br \/>\nin exercise of jurisdiction which otherwise would not have been exercised.<\/p>\n<p>The misrepresentation must be in relation to the conditions provided in a<\/p>\n<p>section on existence or non-existence of which the power can be exercised.<\/p>\n<p>But non-disclosure of a fact not required by a statute to be disclosed may<\/p>\n<p>not amount to fraud. Even in commercial transactions non-disclosure of<\/p>\n<p>every fact does not vitiate the agreement. &#8220;In a contract every person must<\/p>\n<p>look for himself and ensures that he acquires the information necessary to<\/p>\n<p>avoid bad bargain. In public law the duty is not to deceive. <a href=\"\/doc\/1697217\/\">(See Shrisht<\/p>\n<p>Dhawan (Smt.) v. M\/s. Shaw Brothers,<\/a> (1992 (1) SCC 534).<\/p>\n<p>13.   In that case it was observed as follows:\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8220;Fraud and collusion vitiate even the most solemn proceedings<br \/>\n      in any civilized system of jurisprudence. It is a concept<br \/>\n      descriptive of human conduct. Michael levi likens a fraudster<br \/>\n      to Milton&#8217;s sorcerer, Comus, who exulted in his ability to,<br \/>\n      &#8216;wing me into the easy-hearted man and trap him into snares&#8217;.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>      It has been defined as an act of trickery or deceit. In Webster&#8217;s<br \/>\n      Third New International Dictionary fraud in equity has been<br \/>\n      defined as an act or omission to act or concealment by which<br \/>\n      one person obtains an advantage against conscience over<br \/>\n      another or which equity or public policy forbids as being<br \/>\n      prejudicial to another. In Black&#8217;s Legal Dictionary, fraud is<br \/>\n      defined as an intentional perversion of truth for the purpose of<br \/>\n      inducing another in reliance upon it to part with some valuable<br \/>\n      thing belonging to him or surrender a legal right; a false<br \/>\n      representation of a matter of fact whether by words or by<br \/>\n      conduct, by false or misleading allegations, or by concealment<br \/>\n      of that which should have been disclosed, which deceives and<br \/>\n      is intended to deceive another so that he shall act upon it to his<br \/>\n      legal injury. In Concise Oxford Dictionary, it has been defined<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                           10<\/span><br \/>\n      as criminal deception, use of false representation to gain unjust<br \/>\n      advantage; dishonest artifice or trick. According to Halsbury&#8217;s<br \/>\n      Laws of England, a representation is deemed to have been<br \/>\n      false, and therefore a misrepresentation, if it was at the material<br \/>\n      date false in substance and in fact. Section 17 of the Contract<br \/>\n      Act defines fraud as act committed by a party to a contract with<br \/>\n      intent to deceive another. From dictionary meaning or even<br \/>\n      otherwise fraud arises out of deliberate active role of<br \/>\n      representator about a fact which he knows to be untrue yet he<br \/>\n      succeeds in misleading the representee by making him believe<br \/>\n      it to be true. The representation to become fraudulent must be<br \/>\n      of the fact with knowledge that it was false. In a leading<br \/>\n      English case Derry v. Peek [(1886-90) ALL ER Rep 1: (1889)<br \/>\n      14 AC 337 (HL)] what constitutes fraud was described thus:<br \/>\n      (All Er p. 22 B-C)<\/p>\n<p>                 `Fraud is proved when it is shown that a false<br \/>\n           representation has been made (i) knowingly, or (ii)<br \/>\n           without belief in its truth, or (iii) recklessly, careless<br \/>\n           whether it be true or false&#8217;.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>14.   This aspect of the matter has been considered by this Court in <a href=\"\/doc\/623494\/\">Roshan<\/p>\n<p>Deen v. Preeti Lal<\/a> (2002 (1) SCC 100) <a href=\"\/doc\/943008\/\">Ram Preeti Yadav v. U.P. Board of<\/p>\n<p>High School and Intermediate Education<\/a> (2003 (8) SCC 311), Ram Chandra<\/p>\n<p>Singh&#8217;s case (supra) and Ashok Leyland Ltd. v. State of T.N. and Another<\/p>\n<p>(2004 (3) SCC 1).\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>15.   Suppression of a material document would also amount to a fraud on<\/p>\n<p>the court. (see <a href=\"\/doc\/1425907\/\">Gowrishankar v. Joshi Amba Shankar Family Trust<\/a> (1996 (3)<\/p>\n<p>SCC 310) and S.P. Chengalvaraya Naidu&#8217;s case (supra).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                            11<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<p>16.   &#8220;Fraud&#8221; is a conduct either by letter or words, which induces the<\/p>\n<p>other person or authority to take a definite determinative stand as a response<\/p>\n<p>to the conduct of the former either by words or letter. Although negligence<\/p>\n<p>is not fraud but it can be evidence on fraud; as observed in      Ram Preeti<\/p>\n<p>Yadav&#8217;s case (supra).\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>17.   In Lazarus Estate Ltd. v. Beasley (1956) 1 QB 702, Lord Denning<\/p>\n<p>observed at pages 712 &amp; 713, &#8220;No judgment of a Court, no order of a<\/p>\n<p>Minister can be allowed to stand if it has been obtained by fraud. Fraud<\/p>\n<p>unravels everything.&#8221; In the same judgment Lord Parker LJ observed that<\/p>\n<p>fraud vitiates all transactions known to the law of however high a degree of<\/p>\n<p>solemnity. (page 722)<\/p>\n<p>18.   These aspects were highlighted in the <a href=\"\/doc\/335519\/\">State of Andhra Pradesh and<\/p>\n<p>Anr. v. T. Suryachandr Rao<\/a> (2005 (5) SCALE 621) and <a href=\"\/doc\/1765871\/\">Bhaurao Dagdu<\/p>\n<p>Paralkar v. State of Maharashtra and Ors.<\/a> (2005 (7) SCC 605)<\/p>\n<p>19.   It was for the buyer to establish that he had no knowledge about the<\/p>\n<p>genuineness or otherwise of the SIL in question.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                          12<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<p>20.   The maxim caveat emptor is clearly applicable to a case of this<\/p>\n<p>nature. As per Advanced Law Lexicon by P. Ramanatha Aiyar, 3rd Edn.<\/p>\n<p>2005 at page 721: Caveat emptor means &#8220;Let the purchaser beware.&#8221; It is<\/p>\n<p>one of the settled maxims, applying to a purchaser who is bound by actual<\/p>\n<p>as well as constructive knowledge of any defect in the thing purchased,<\/p>\n<p>which is obvious, or which might have been known by proper diligence.<\/p>\n<p>21.   &#8220;Caveat emptor does not mean either in law or in Latin that the buyer<\/p>\n<p>must take chances. It means that the buyer must take care.&#8221; (See Wallis v.<\/p>\n<p>Russell (1902) 21 R 585, 615).\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>22.   &#8220;Caveat emptor is the ordinary rule in contract. A vendor is under no<\/p>\n<p>duty to communicate the existence even of latent defects in his wares unless<\/p>\n<p>by act or implication he represents such defects not to exist.&#8221; (See William<\/p>\n<p>R. Anson, Principles of the Law of Contract 245 (Arthur L. Corbin Ed.3d.<\/p>\n<p>Am. ed.1919) Applying the maxim, it was held that it is the bounden duty of<\/p>\n<p>the purchaser to make all such necessary enquiries and to ascertain all the<\/p>\n<p>facts relating to the property to be purchased prior to committing in any<\/p>\n<p>manner.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                        13<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<p>23.    Caveat emptor, qui ignorare non debuit quod jus alienum emit. A<\/p>\n<p>maxim meaning &#8220;Let a purchaser beware; who ought not to be ignorant that<\/p>\n<p>he is purchasing the rights of another. Hob. 99; Broom; Co., Litl. 102 a: 3<\/p>\n<p>Taunt. 439.\n<\/p>\n<p>24.   As the maxim applies, with certain specific restrictions, not only to<\/p>\n<p>the quality of, but also to the title to, land which is sold, the purchaser is<\/p>\n<p>generally bound to view the land and to enquire after and inspect the title-<\/p>\n<p>deeds; at his peril if he does not.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>25.   Upon a sale of goods the general rule with regard to their nature or<\/p>\n<p>quality is caveat emptor, so that in the absence of fraud, the buyer has no<\/p>\n<p>remedy against the seller for any defect in the goods not covered by some<\/p>\n<p>condition or warranty, expressed or implied. It is beyond all doubt that, by<\/p>\n<p>the general rules of law there is no warranty of quality arising from the bare<\/p>\n<p>contract of sale of goods, and that where there has been no fraud, a buyer<\/p>\n<p>who has not obtained an express warranty, takes all risk of defect in the<\/p>\n<p>goods, unless there are circumstances beyond the mere fact of sale from<\/p>\n<p>which a warranty may be implied. (Bottomley v. Bannister, [1932] 1 KB<\/p>\n<p>458 : Ward v. Hobbs, 4 App Cas 13}. (Latin for Lawyers)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                          14<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<p>26.    No one ought in ignorance to buy that which is the right of another.<\/p>\n<p>The buyer according to the maxim has to be cautious, as the risk is his and<\/p>\n<p>not that of the seller.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>27.    Whether the buyer had made any enquiry as to the genuineness of the<\/p>\n<p>license within his special knowledge. He has to establish that he made<\/p>\n<p>enquiry and took requisite precautions to find out about the genuineness of<\/p>\n<p>the SIL which he was purchasing. If he has not done that consequences have<\/p>\n<p>to follow. These aspects do not appear to have been considered by the<\/p>\n<p>CESTAT in coming to the abrupt conclusion that even if one or all the<\/p>\n<p>respondents had knowledge that the SIL was forged or fake that was not<\/p>\n<p>sufficient to hold that there was no omission or commission on his part so as<\/p>\n<p>to render silver or gold liable for confiscation.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>28.    As noted above, SILs were not genuine documents and were forged.<\/p>\n<p>Since fraud was involved, in the eye of law such documents had no<\/p>\n<p>existence. Since the documents have been established to be forged or fake,<\/p>\n<p>obviously fraud was involved and that was sufficient to extend the period of<\/p>\n<p>limitation.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                         15<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<p>29.   In view of this finding the other issues raised by the respondent are of<\/p>\n<p>academic interest.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>30.   The appeal is allowed. There shall be no order as to costs.<\/p>\n<p>                                      &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;J.<br \/>\n                                      (Dr. ARIJIT PASAYAT)<\/p>\n<p>                                      &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;J.<br \/>\n                                      (Dr. MUKUNDAKAM SHARMA)<\/p>\n<p>New Delhi,<br \/>\nFebruary 16, 2009<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                               16<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court of India Commnr. Of Customs(Preventive) vs M\/S. Aafloat Textiles (I) &#8230; on 16 February, 2009 Author: . A Pasayat Bench: Arijit Pasayat, Mukundakam Sharma REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APEPAL NO. 2447 OF 2007 Commnr. of Customs (Preventive) &#8230;Appellant Versus M\/s Aafloat Textiles (I) Pvt.Ltd. and Ors. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-supreme-court-of-india"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Commnr. Of Customs(Preventive) vs M\/S. 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