The Kerala High Court on Tuesday quashed a criminal case registered against a Swedish national on charges of possessing a satellite phone.
Justice B. Kemal Pasha passed the verdict on a petition filed by Lars Olof Ricard, 36, challenging the registration of the case against him by the police. He was intercepted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the Cochin International Airport while he was about to board a domestic flight to Agathi in Lakshadweep. He was later handed over to the Nedumbassery police. He had been charged with violation of Sections 4 and 20 of the Indian Telegraph Act
Allowing his petition, the court pointed out that the petitioner had declared the items in his baggage in the Form 1 of the Indian Customs Declaration Form as mandated under the Customs Baggage Declaration Regulations 2013. He had made a declaration that he possessed a satellite phone. If there was any prohibition against carrying such a phone, the customs officials should have seized the phone and they could have kept it there. The court also ordered the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Angamaly to return his passport and the amount deposited by him when he was released on bail.
