Provisional release conditions narrowed as bank guarantee requirement for seized goods was reduced from full duty to 30%.

The Madras HC addressed the provisional release condition requiring a bank guarantee equal to 100% of the duty payable for seized goods. It accepted the grievance that the condition was onerous and modified it by reducing the bank guarantee requirement to 30% of the duty payable, while leaving the seizure and other release conditions intact.

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Issues: Whether the condition requiring furnishing of a bank guarantee equivalent to 100% of the duty payable for provisional release of the seized goods was liable to be modified.

Analysis: The petition challenged only the stringency of the bank guarantee condition imposed for provisional release. The Court noted the petitioner's grievance that a bank guarantee for the full duty amount was onerous and considered the request to reduce that condition, while leaving the seizure and other release conditions undisturbed.

Conclusion: The condition requiring a bank guarantee equivalent to 100% of the duty payable was modified and reduced to 30% of the duty payable; the remaining conditions were left intact.

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