The HC stayed adjudication of a show cause notice demanding...

The HC stayed adjudication of a show cause notice demanding additional customs duty on imported fiber-optic cables intended for laying in India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The court found a strong prima facie case that the Customs Act and Customs Tariff Act may not apply to these imports. While the Central Government had issued notifications on January 14, 1987, extending customs legislation to the Continental Shelf and EEZ, the court noted these extensions were subject to specific purposes outlined in a February 7, 2002 notification. As the petitioner's imports did not fall within those designated purposes, the court granted interim relief pending final determination of whether customs legislation applies to such goods in the EEZ.