Customs Broker licence revocation stayed where prima facie compliance and disproportionate hardship warranted interim protection.

Interim stay of a Customs Broker licence revocation was justified where the broker had prima facie produced KYC documents and an authorisation letter, and had previously handled consignments of the same importer without objection. The alleged contravention and any connivance required fuller examination at final hearing, and the revocation was prima facie viewed as harsh in light of the scale of business and likely irreparable loss to employees and livelihood. The operation of the revocation order was stayed and the stay application was allowed.

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Issues: Whether the operation of the order revoking the Customs Broker licence deserved to be stayed pending final disposal of the appeal.

Analysis: The Customs Broker had, on the available material, prima facie produced the KYC documents and authorisation letter and had handled earlier consignments of the same importer without objection. The record also indicated that the alleged contravention and any connivance required fuller examination at the stage of final hearing. In view of the large scale of the appellant's business and the impact of revocation on employees and livelihood, the revocation order was prima facie considered harsh and likely to cause irreparable loss.

Conclusion: The operation of the revocation order was stayed and the stay application was allowed.

Ratio Decidendi: Interim stay is justified where the impugned action appears prima facie disproportionate and likely to cause irreparable harm, while the alleged regulatory breach remains to be tested at final hearing.

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