Supreme Court of India

Romesh Chandra Mehta v. State of West Bengal

Neutral citation

Reported as [1969] 2 S.C.R. 461

Bench J. C. Shah, V. Ramaswami, G. K. Mitter, K. S. Hegde and A. N. Grover JJ.

Decided 18 October 1968

INSC stands for INDIAN SUPREME COURT. A neutral citation scheme assigned by the Court itself, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter. INSC is the neutral citation scheme assigned by the Supreme Court, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter.

9 Supreme Court benches have cited this judgment.

What the Court ordered

We are of the view that a Customs Officer is under the Act of 1962 not a police officer within the meaning of s. 25 of the Evidence Act and the statements made before him by a person who is arrested or against whom an inquiry is made are not covered by s. 25 of the Indian Evidence Act.

Judgment, page 19

From the headnote

Sea Customs Act (8 of 1878), and Customs Act (52 of 1962)-Cus toms Officer-If police officer within the meaning of s. 25 of the Evi dence Act (1 of 1872). The accused were charged with some offences under s. 120- Indian Penal Code read with s. 167(81) of the Sea Customs Act, 1878, s. S of the Import and Export Control Act, 1947, for specific offences under the Sea Customs Act, and for offences under ss. 108 and 135 of the Customs Act, 1962. Statements made by the accused to an officer of customs in an enquiry under s. 171- of the Sea Customs Act and statements made were tendered in

Authorities it was built on

1953 Maqbool Hussain v. The State of Bombay cited by 36
1960 Raja Narayanlal Bansilal v. Maneck Phjhoz Misthy and Another. cited by 5

Where later benches applied it

2025 Radhika Agarwal v. Union of India and Others relied on
2008 Union of India v. Padam Narain Aggarwal Etc followed
2024 Arvind Kejriwal v. Directorate of Enforcement referred to
2022 Vijay Madanlal Choudhary & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors. referred to
2020 Tofan Singh v. State of Tamil Nadu referred to
2020 Union of India v. Ashok Kumar Sharma and Others referred to
2011 Senior Intelligence Officer v. Jugal Kishore Samra referred to
2008 Vinod Solanki v. Union of India & Anr. referred to
2007 Smt. Selvi & Ors. v. State of Karnataka referred to

Of those, 1 relied on · 1 followed · 7 referred to

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