Operation Numkhor: Dulquer Salmaan moves Kerala HC after customs seizes his luxury car

Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan has moved the Kerala High Court challenging the Customs Department’s seizure of his Land Rover Defender as part of Operation Numkhor. The actor also sought a directive for the vehicle’s release.

The matter came up before the single bench of Justice Ziyaad Rahman on Friday. The Court granted time to the Customs Department to respond to the petition and posted the case for further hearing on September 30.

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Customs officials recently conducted raids across Kerala, including the homes of actors Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, seizing over 35 high-end luxury cars allegedly brought from Bhutan using forged documents. Salmaan’s 2004 Land Rover Defender was among the vehicles seized under the operation.

In his writ petition, the actor stated that he was the registered owner and in possession of the vehicle, which he had purchased in good faith from Aarpee Promoters Pvt Ltd nearly five years ago. He maintained that all payments were made through bank transactions and that the vehicle had been in his lawful use without incident.

He contended that the Customs action was “arbitrary, illegal, and based on mere suspicion.”

Salmaan further submitted that the vehicle had been cleared by a bill of entry for home consumption filed by the consignee and that he had received copies of the bill of entry, the invoice, and other documents. He argued that he had every reason to believe the vehicle had valid ownership and registration, and no reason to suspect its import or sale was illegal.

Despite handing over all documents to prove that customs duties had been paid, his vehicle was seized. “Though the available documents were handed over to the officials, there was a total refusal to examine them, and the seizure was carried out in a hasty and arbitrary manner,” the petition stated.

The actor also argued that the adjudication process, including the hierarchy of appeals, is time-consuming and that the Customs Department lacks facilities to preserve seized vehicles in safe custody with proper maintenance. He expressed concern that, like most seized vehicles, his car would be left to deteriorate, losing all utility and value by the time proceedings conclude.

In contrast, he maintained, a vehicle kept in running condition would retain both relevance and commercial value. He emphasized that no public interest would be served by letting the car deteriorate in custody.

Accordingly, he sought a directive for the release of the vehicle, while ensuring that both ownership and possession would remain with him, with the assurance that the car would be produced before authorities whenever required for legal purposes.