Esplanade Court grants bail to US woman in gold smuggling case worth ₹4.86 crore, citing health concerns and investigation delays | Representational Image
Mumbai: The Esplanade Magistrate Court has granted bail to Ami Kotecha, a resident of the USA, who was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in February 2025 under the Customs Act.
She was intercepted at Mumbai Airport upon her arrival from Chicago, USA, via a Dubai flight, near the exit gate after crossing the Green Channel. While passing the order, the court held that the investigating agency had been given sufficient time—almost a month—for the investigation.
“The accused has been in jail since 21.02.2025. Sufficient time has been availed for investigation. It appears that during custody, she was not interrogated, and thus, further custody is no longer required. The medical report on record shows that she is a sick person. The proceedings will take a long time. The accused has been in jail for about a month. The gold has already been recovered,” the court noted. Hence, bail was granted on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.
According to the prosecution, the accused was intercepted at Mumbai Airport. Although nothing incriminating was found on Ami, a search of her 13-year-old daughter led to the recovery of nine gold bars, each weighing 10 tolas.
“The said nine gold bars weighed 5,466 grams and were valued at Rs 4,86,47,400. Upon inquiry, the 13-year-old stated that the jacket containing the gold bars had been given to her by her mother, and she was unaware that they needed to be declared before the officer. Voluntary statements of both were recorded, wherein they admitted to smuggling gold. They could not produce legitimate proof of possession of the gold, and no declaration was made before the customs officer. The applicant has not retracted her statement. In cases involving special laws like the Customs Act, the provisions of the special laws take precedence over general law. Economic offenses constitute a separate category and must be addressed with a different approach when considering bail,” the prosecution stated in its reply.
The defense advocate for Ami argued in the bail application, “In the present case, the accused was arrested on 21.02.2025 under an arrest memo, which bears her signature. The grounds and reasons for the arrest were communicated in writing as part of the arrest. The accused has been in jail since 21.02.2025, and sufficient time has been given for the investigation.”
