Mandatory import registration under the Insecticides Act controls clearance of Ethephon consignments.

Import of Ethephon required a registration certificate specifically permitting import under Section 9(4) of the Insecticides Act, 1968. Certificates issued only for indigenous manufacture did not satisfy that statutory condition, and prior clearance of similar consignments could not override the mandatory import requirement. On that basis, the petitioner could not rely on existing certificates to secure release of the consignment, and the request for clearance failed.

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Issues: Whether the petitioner could clear and import Ethephon without a registration certificate permitting import under the Insecticides Act, 1968.

Analysis: A registration certificate under Section 9(4) of the Insecticides Act, 1968 was necessary for import of the insecticide. The certificates relied upon by the petitioner were found to have been issued only for indigenous manufacture and not for import. Past clearance of similar consignments could not override the mandatory statutory requirement.

Conclusion: The petitioner was not entitled to rely on the existing registration certificates for importing Ethephon from China, and the request for release of the consignment failed.

Final Conclusion: The writ petition was dismissed for want of the mandatory import registration, and the respondents were not required to release the goods.

Ratio Decidendi: Where the statute requires a specific registration for import, a certificate granted only for indigenous manufacture cannot be treated as authorization for import.

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