THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an extraordinary move, the Kerala government has filed an RTI application with the Customs preventive commissioner office here, seeking clarifications on the general procedures binding on the agency in duty evasion cases and the details of the ongoing probe into the import of dates by the UAE consulate from the Middle East.
The RTI query, in general, seeks clarifications from the Customs’ side on the basic procedures the agency might follow while dealing with cases pertaining to violation of conditions under which it gives duty exemption for import of goods.
It asked the agency, in particular, to reveal the progress of the ongoing investigation (into the dates import case), persons involved in it and their organizational affiliations.
Customs had registered a case against the import of 17,000kg of dates to Kerala, using diplomatic channels, without paying taxes.
The agency is of the view that there was gross mismatch in the quantity of dates brought and the amount distributed in the state by the government.
A similar case was registered by Customs in connection with the import of Holy Quran.
Both cases were registered close on the heels of the detection of the gold smuggling case involving misuse of diplomatic baggage by high-profile individuals.