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2023 (12) TMI 198 - MADRAS HIGH COURTSeeking release of goods - goods imported freely or not - Second hand Multifunction Print and copying machines - materials imported by the petitioners falls under Clause 2.31 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 effective from 01.04.2023 under the category second hand goods or not - HELD THAT:- Sl.No.(b) of Notification No.5/2015-2020, dated 07.05.2019, states that all electronics and IT goods notified under the Electronics and IT Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2012, as amended from time to time are “restricted”. Therefore, they are supposed to get authorization from the DGFT. When the said policy was in force, at that point of time also several imports have been made for importing second hand multi-function devices and similar issue was raised that these are all the multi function devices coming under Sl.No.(b). Therefore, unless otherwise authorization is obtained from the DGFT, the same cannot be imported. In the Notification No.5/2015-2020, dated 07.05.2019, only two clauses are available viz., (a) and (b), but, in the case of Foreign Trade Policy 2023, there are four clauses under Sl.No.I. This Court is of the considered view that as per Foreign Trade Policy, 2023, the petitioners' goods would not fall under the category I(b), but it falls under the category I(d) which indicates that other than goods mentioned in I(a), I(b), I(c), all other second-hand capital goods can be imported freely without any restriction. Therefore, if the petitioners not fall under clause I(b) automatically they fall under I(d). The Supreme Court has taken note of the said fact and stayed the confiscation of goods in a similar matter. Further, this Court, on a comparison of Notification No.5/2015-2020, dated 07.05.2019 and Foreign Trade Policy 2023, does not find any new changes brought in so that prohibited multi function devices should get authorization from DGFT. This Court is inclined to allow these writ petitions to the extent of releasing the goods provisionally - petition allowed.
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