High Court of Gujarat
R/Special Civil Application No. 6295 of 2025
August 25, 2026
Honourable Mr. Justice A.S. Supehia and Honourable Ms. Justice Vaibhavi D. Nanavati
Pranavbhai Ambalal Patel (Petitioner) vs. Additional Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ahmedabad & Others (Respondents)
"Disclaimer: This article is a simplified summary of the court judgment prepared for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or an official legal document. For complete facts and full context, please refer to the official judgment attached below."
- What Was the Case About: Pranavbhai Ambalal Patel legally purchased and imported a Toyota Land Cruiser from Japan, paying the full customs duties required. However, officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) searched his residence and detained his car under a temporary witness document called a Panchnama. The DRI held the vehicle for more than a year without passing a formal, written seizure order, prompting the owner to file a lawsuit to reclaim his car. During the lawsuit, the DRI finally issued a formal seizure memo and demanded massive bank guarantees for provisional release based on government guidelines that had already been declared illegal by the courts.