Appeal partially allowed, penalty reduced under Customs Act. Red sanders confiscation upheld.

The Tribunal partially allowed the appeal, reducing the penalty imposed on the appellant to Rs.5,00,000 under Section 114(i) of the Customs Act, 1962. The confiscation of red sanders valued at Rs.33,90,000 was upheld, with other goods allowed redemption upon payment of a fine. The appellant's lack of knowledge regarding the prohibited nature of the goods was considered, leading to the finding that the penalty initially imposed was disproportionate and excessive.

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Issues Involved:

1. Confiscation of goods under Section 113(d) of the Customs Act, 1962.
2. Imposition of penalties under Section 114(i) and 114AA of the Customs Act, 1962.
3. Whether the appellant had knowledge of the prohibited nature of the goods.
4. Proportionality of the penalty imposed.

Summary:

1. Confiscation of Goods:
The appellant attempted to export wooden items, including red sanders, which were detained based on specific intelligence. The original authority confiscated the red sanders valued at Rs.33,90,000/- under Section 113(d) of the Customs Act, 1962, and allowed redemption of other goods upon payment of a fine.

2. Imposition of Penalties:
The original authority imposed a penalty of Rs.30,00,000/- on the appellant under Sections 114(i) and 114AA of the Customs Act, 1962, and a separate penalty of Rs.2 lakhs on the CHA. The appellant contested only the penalty imposition.

3. Knowledge of Prohibited Nature:
The appellant argued that they were unaware the wooden pillars were made of red sanders, believing them to be country wood. The adjudicating authority found no evidence of deliberate intent to export prohibited goods, noting that the appellant did not know the species of the wood.

4. Proportionality of Penalty:
The Tribunal found that the penalty imposed was disproportionate and excessive given the value of the confiscated goods. The penalty was reduced to Rs.5,00,000/- under Section 114(i) of the Customs Act, 1962, as the investigation did not prove intentional false declarations by the appellant under Section 114AA.

Conclusion:
The appeal was partially allowed, reducing the penalty to Rs.5,00,000/- while maintaining the confiscation order.

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