Student's foreign currency for tuition confiscated at Hyderabad airport
CISF intercepted a student at Hyderabad airport while he was bound for Dubai with UAE dirhams worth INR 7,08,390. He told officials the cash was for semester tuition fees. The Telangana High Court allowed the writ petition on 21.01.2026.
This page records what the cited court, tribunal and government records say happened. Findings belong to the court or authority that made them; this register adds none of its own. Names of private individuals are withheld unless a naming gate clears them.
How we verify →The Telangana High Court allowed the writ petition on 21.01.2026.
What happened
The High Court recorded that the traveller was stopped during boarding from Hyderabad toward Dubai and handed to customs intelligence over suspected undeclared foreign notes.
The currency was described as 30,600 UAE dirhams equivalent to Rs 7,08,390, which the traveller said was for university term fees for an IT master's degree in Dubai.
The original authority ordered absolute confiscation of the subject foreign currency equivalent to INR 7,08,390; the appeal was dismissed as time-barred and for non-compliance with the pre-deposit requirement.
The Telangana High Court allowed the writ petition on 21.01.2026.
What the record says
“absolute confiscation of the subject foreign currency equivalent to INR 7,08,390/-”
Telangana High Court, W.P. No. 1618 of 2026, order dated 21.01.2026 — read the full text
A peaceful economic act
Carrying one's own money abroad to pay fees harmed no one; confiscation punishes peaceful movement of capital.
What we could not confirm
Exact July 2023 interception day not confirmed in excerpt, so incident_date left null; merits of FEMA vs Customs charge await appellate decision.