89,420 kg of kiwi fruit rot due to government officials' negligence; court slaps fine on Customs

CHANDIGARH: Government officials are expected to perform their duties without causing inconvenience to the citizens. However, that is often not the case in practice. Due to the actions of customs officials, a fruit trader in Punjab suffered a huge loss when 89,420 kilograms of kiwi fruit rotted because of procedural delays. The court, which strongly criticized the Customs Department, ordered compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the trader.

The verdict was issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The case was heard by a bench comprising Justices Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Sanjay Vashisth. The petitioner is a fruit trader from Ludhiana, Punjab. The incident in question took place in 2023. The trader had imported 89,420 kilograms of kiwi from Chile via Dubai, valued at $80,478 (around Rs 66 lakh).

The consignment remained stuck at the Mundra port for over three months without clearance. As a result, the fruit rotted, causing a significant financial loss to the trader. The court harshly criticized the shipping company, M/s Transliner Maritime Pvt. Ltd., and customs officials at both Mundra and Ludhiana. Their behavior was deemed grossly irresponsible by the court.

In addition to awarding Rs 50 lakh as compensation, the court also directed that the customs duty paid by the petitioner be refunded, along with 6% annual interest. The judgment emphasized the need for prompt clearance of perishable goods.