Page 119 - DRI ANNUAL REPORT EBOOK

8. Initially, for the purpose of adjudication of such cases, a common and/ or single Adjudicating Authority, known as Commissioner of Customs (Adjudication), was appointed by the CBIC, by issuing a non-tariff notification. However, keeping in view the fact that the cases investigated by the DRI are complex and multi- dimensional in nature, a need was felt for creation of a dedicated officer of the rank of Additional Director General who would be exclusively dealing with adjudication of the cases booked by DRI (Hqrs) and various Zonal Units of DRI. Hence, the post of Additional Director General (Adjudication) - one each at Mumbai and Delhi - came into existence. And, in exercise of the power under section 152 (a) of the Customs Act, 1962, the Central Government issued notification No. 60/2015-Customs (NT), dated 4th June, 2015 whereby the power of appointment of Common Adjudicating Authority, of the rank of Commissioner of Customs or Additional Director General of DRI, for the purpose of adjudication of cases investigated by DRI was delegated to the Principal Director General of DRI.
9. Thereafter, vide Notification 133/2015-Customs (N.T.), dated 30th November, 2015, the DGRI
was conferred with extended powers for appointing officers of the rank of Additional Director General or Principal Commissioner or Commissioner or Additional Commissioner or Joint Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner of Customs for the purpose of adjudication of cases investigated by DRI.
10. The Board initially prescribed guidelines for appointment of Common Adjudicating Authority vide Circular No. 18/2015- Customs dated 9th June, 2015, which was further amended vide Circular No. 30/2015-Customs dated 4th December, 2015, as per which certain specified cases initiated by DRI would be assigned to Additional Director General (Adjudication), DRI; the cases, other than the above, involving more than one Customs Commissionerate would be assigned to the jurisdictional Commissioner of Customs on the basis of the maximum duty evaded; cases other than these and involving a single Customs Commissionerate would be assigned to the jurisdictional Commissioner of Customs, etc.
10.1 The cases notified span different genres and the same is captured by Figure 2, 3 and 4.
Figure 1
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