Customs Look out Circulars at Airports are not Forever, Notes Delhi HC

New Delhi: Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and customs department to ensure that any pending look-out circular (LOC) against a man is deleted so that he does not face inconvenience or humiliation at airports. The order of the court came after the customs department submitted that it does not want an LOC issued against the petitioner to be extended.

“In the light of the aforesaid stand taken (by customs department counsel), the respondents (Centre and customs department) will ensure that any pending LOC against the petitioner be deleted so that he is not put to any further inconvenience or humiliation at the airports,” Justice Rekha Palli said.

Petitioner Captain Jagminder Singh Brar, in his plea, had submitted that as and when he enters or wishes to leave India, he has always been unnecessarily harassed by immigration authorities at the airports, without being informed of any reason.

His case was that he was neither aware of any LOC having been issued against him nor have the authorities disclosed the details to him.

He contended that the act of the respondents in detaining him at the airports was wholly unwarranted.

The Centre's counsel submitted that the LOC against the man was issued at the request of the customs department and that is why he was detained at the airports.

The counsel for the customs department submitted that it does not want the LOC against the man to be extended.