Writ maintainability barred by efficacious appellate remedy where customs broker licence dispute turned on disputed facts.

A writ petition challenging revocation of a customs broker licence and allied penalties was found not maintainable where the dispute depended on factual issues about reimbursement timing and the nature of the payment said to have been made. Those controversies were considered unsuitable for writ adjudication, especially since an efficacious statutory appellate remedy was available under the Customs Act. The Court therefore declined to examine the merits of the revocation order and left the petitioner to pursue the appellate remedy.

---

---

Issues: Whether the writ petition challenging revocation of the customs broker licence and allied penalties was maintainable in view of the availability of an effective appellate remedy under the Customs Act.

Analysis: The dispute turned on factual questions relating to the timing and circumstances of reimbursement of the amount and the nature of the payment alleged to have been made by the customs broker. Such factual controversies were held to be unsuitable for adjudication in writ proceedings. Since the petitioner had an efficacious statutory appellate remedy, the Court declined to enter upon the merits of the revocation order.

Conclusion: The writ petition was held to be not maintainable and the petitioner was left to pursue the appellate remedy.

---