Mandatory licensing timelines under customs broker regulations required strict compliance, and delayed inquiry action was set aside.

Mandatory time limits under the customs house agent licensing regulations governed the sequence for show cause notice, inquiry and final action. The inquiry report was submitted after the prescribed period, and those timelines were treated as mandatory rather than directory. As the delay in completing the inquiry breached the regulatory framework, the revocation action was held unsustainable and set aside. The cited precedent was applied to reinforce strict compliance with the time-bound steps under the customs broker and customs house agent regime.

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Issues: Whether the revocation order against the customs house agent was liable to be set aside for non-compliance with the mandatory time limits prescribed in the licensing regulations.

Analysis: The proceedings under the licensing regime were governed by a strict sequence of time-bound steps for issuance of show cause notice, completion of inquiry, and passing of the final order. The record showed that the inquiry report was submitted beyond the prescribed period after the show cause notice. The time stipulations in the regulations were treated as mandatory, and the delay in completing the inquiry vitiated the action taken by the authority. The cited judicial precedent reinforced that these limits must be strictly followed under the applicable customs broker and customs house agent regulatory framework.

Conclusion: The revocation order was unsustainable and was set aside.

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