Highrich Shopee: High Court cancels special court order

KOCHI: The High Court has quashed the order of the Thrissur Special Court upholding the provisional attachment of the property of Thrissur-based Highrich Online Shoppe under the BUDS Act. The law requires that the provisional seizure be confirmed by the concerned court within 60 days. Justice PG Ajithkumar held that the action after the deadline was not legal. However, it was also clarified that there is no obstacle to confiscating the property again. It was Highrich Online Shoppe who approached the High Court alleging that the confiscation process was illegal.

The temporary confiscation of the property under the BUDS Act was based on the Cherpu police report following complaints. An application must be filed in a special court within 30 days to confirm this. If that is not possible, the application should be filed within 60 days, but that also did not happen. However, the special court upheld the confiscation of the property by relaxing the time limit. This is what the petitioners questioned. Last year, Highrich's property was seized by the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, the authority under the BUDS Act.