"Held in a Dark Room for 9 Hours": Delhi HC Seeks CCTV Footage in Case Involving Detention of 11-Year-Old at IGI Airport

New Delhi- The Delhi High Court has directed the customs authorities to preserve and submit the CCTV footage related to the detention and seizure of gold from a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Indian businessman at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in April 2024.

The order was passed by Justice Arun Monga on Thursday while hearing a writ petition filed by the businessman, who alleges he and his 11-year-old daughter were illegally detained, harassed, and robbed by customs officers.

According to the petition's lawyer Anand Jondhale, the petitioner, a long-time resident of Abu Dhabi running a textile business, arrived in Delhi from Abu Dhabi on Flight EY 218 in the early hours of April 10, 2024, to attend a marriage ceremony. He stated that he was wearing five gold bracelets (kadas), a practice he follows due to his hobby of wearing gold, especially for Indian weddings.

The petitioner claims that after he had cleared the green channel, indicating he had no goods to declare, customs officers "pounced upon" him and his daughter near the exit gate. He alleged that he and his minor daughter were held for approximately nine hours in a "dark room," his UAE Dirhams were taken, and the gold ornaments he was wearing were seized. A seizure memo and a notice under the Customs Act were issued to him the same day.

Subsequently, on September 26, 2024, the Additional Commissioner of Customs issued a show-cause notice. The petitioner submitted a detailed reply in November 2024. However, after five months, on April 23, 2025, the Additional Commissioner passed an order for the "absolute confiscation" of the gold and imposed a penalty of Rs. 3,20,000 on the petitioner.

Challenging this order, the petitioner approached the High Court, alleging a violation of his fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution. He has sought a CBI inquiry into the incident, which he terms as "extortion and robbery," and compensation of Rs. 100 crores for the "torture and harassment" meted out to him and his daughter.

During the hearing, the court issued a formal notice to the respondents, who accepted the notice and sought time to file their response. In an interim direction, the court specifically ordered IGI Airport to ensure that the CCTV footage of the incident is not destroyed and is retained during the pendency of the case. The court further directed that a copy of the footage be placed on record via a pen drive. The case has been listed for the next hearing on December 5.