2025 (6) TMI 1676 - AT - Customs

Levy of penalty u/s 114 of the Customs Act 1962 - overvaluation of export goods CD ROM with an intention to fraudulently claim DEPB scripts to avoid customs duty - HELD THAT - Section 114 of the Customs Act deals with penalty for attempt to export goods improperly. It provides that any person who in relation to any goods does or the omits to do any act which act or omission would render such goods liable to confiscation under section 113 shall be liable to a penalty. In the absence of any material on record to substantiate that the appellant had knowledge of the fact that CD ROM s were being exported at a highly inflated value penalty under section 114 of the Customs Act could not have been levied upon the appellant. In the present case the goods had been exported and therefore the goods could not have been confiscated under section 113(d) of the Customs Act. Penalty under section 114 of the Customs Act can be levied only if the goods are held liable to confiscation under section 113 of the Customs Act. As the confiscation cannot be sustained penalty under section 114 of the Customs Act cannot also be sustained. The order dated 31.01.2006 passed by the Commissioner so far as it imposes penalty upon the appellant cannot therefore be sustained and is set aside - Appeal allowed.

Summary

Issues Presented and Considered

The core legal questions considered by the Tribunal were:

• Whether the appellant, an employee of a Customs House Agent (CHA), can be held liable under section 114 of the Customs Act, 1962 for penalty on the ground of improper export of goods (CD ROMs) at inflated values to fraudulently claim DEPB benefits.
• Whether knowledge or suspicion of fraudulent overvaluation of exported goods can be imputed to the appellant based on the documents submitted by him and his role in filing shipping bills.
• Whether the penalty under section 114 of the Customs Act can be sustained in the absence of material proving the appellant's knowledge or involvement in the attempted improper export.
• Whether the confiscation of goods under section 113(d) of the Customs Act was valid in the facts of the case, particularly when the goods had already been exported.
• The interrelation between confiscation under section 113 and imposition of penalty under section 114 of the Customs Act.

Issue-wise Detailed Analysis

Liability of the Appellant under Section 114 of the Customs Act

The legal framework under section 114 of the Customs Act provides for imposition of penalty on any person who does or omits to do any act which renders goods liable to confiscation under section 113. The penalty is thus contingent upon the goods being liable to confiscation under the Act.

Precedents establish that for penalty under section 114 to be imposed, there must be proof of knowledge or culpable negligence on the part of the person penalized. Mere mechanical or ministerial acts without knowledge of wrongdoing do not attract penalty.

The Commissioner imposed a penalty of Rs. 2 lakhs on the appellant, reasoning that the appellant "had failed to adduce any evidence proving his innocence" and that it was "in his knowledge that the CD ROM's were being exported at exorbitant prices." The Commissioner relied on the discrepancy between the local assessable value and FOB value as reflected in AR-4 forms issued by M/s Super Cassette Industries Ltd., suggesting that any person with routine knowledge of exports should have suspected fraud.

However, the Tribunal noted that the appellant was an employee of the CHA who filed shipping bills based on documents supplied by a third party, Deept Sarup Aggarwal. The Let Export Orders were issued only after customs officers' satisfaction following verification by the SIIB. This indicates that customs authorities themselves had examined and approved the export documents and values.

The Tribunal reasoned that if the discrepancy was apparent, it should have been noticed by the customs officers who issued the Let Export Orders, not solely by the appellant employee. The appellant's role was limited to filing documents as received, without independent verification or suspicion of fraud.

Therefore, the Tribunal held that the Department failed to provide material evidence to substantiate that the appellant had knowledge or reason to suspect fraudulent export values. The appellant's mere involvement in filing documents did not amount to an act or omission attracting penalty under section 114.

Validity of Confiscation under Section 113(d) of the Customs Act

Section 113(d) provides for confiscation of goods attempted to be exported contrary to any prohibition under the Customs Act or other laws. The confiscation is applicable to goods "attempted to be exported or brought within the limits of any customs area for the purpose of being exported."

In the present case, the goods (CD ROMs) had already been exported. The Tribunal observed that confiscation under section 113(d) is not applicable to goods that have already left the customs area. Therefore, the confiscation order could not be sustained on this ground.

Since penalty under section 114 is predicated on the goods being liable to confiscation under section 113, the invalidity of confiscation necessarily undermines the basis for penalty.

Application of Law to Facts and Treatment of Competing Arguments

The appellant argued that he acted only on documents provided by a third party and had no knowledge of any overvaluation or fraud. The Department contended that the appellant should have noticed the inflated values from the documents and thus was liable for penalty.

The Tribunal gave weight to the procedural fact that the customs officers themselves took six weeks to verify the shipments before issuing Let Export Orders, indicating official satisfaction with the documentation and values. This undercuts the Department's argument that the appellant alone should have detected the fraud.

The Tribunal also emphasized the absence of any direct evidence that the appellant had knowledge of the fraudulent overvaluation. The burden to prove knowledge or culpable negligence was on the Department, which it failed to discharge.

Significant Holdings

"In the absence of any material on record to substantiate that the appellant had knowledge of the fact that CD ROM's were being exported at a highly inflated value, penalty under section 114 of the Customs Act, could not have been levied upon the appellant."

"The goods had been exported and, therefore, the goods could not have been confiscated under section 113(d) of the Customs Act."

"Penalty under section 114 of the Customs Act can be levied only if the goods are held liable to confiscation under section 113 of the Customs Act. As the confiscation cannot be sustained, penalty under section 114 of the Customs Act cannot also be sustained."

These pronouncements establish the principle that penalty under section 114 is contingent upon valid confiscation under section 113, and that knowledge or culpable conduct must be proved against the person penalized. Mere mechanical filing of documents without knowledge of fraud does not attract penalty.

Accordingly, the Tribunal set aside the penalty imposed on the appellant and allowed the appeal.