Video article: No Mens Rea Required: How Mayer Hans George Defined Public Welfare Offenses

 Dive into the shocking 1962 case of Mayer Hans George—a German caught with 34kg of gold in a secret jacket during a Mumbai stopover. Learn how a 4-day-old law established India's strict liability doctrine for economic crimes, making intent irrelevant under FERA and modern PMLA. Featuring Justice Subba Rao's epic dissent on "effective publication."

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State of Maharashtra v. Mayer Hans George AIR 1965 SC 722: Strict Liability's Birth in India's Economic offences Jurisprudence

 

How a German Smuggler, 34kg of Gold, and a 4-Day-Old Law Shaped India's Financial Future

Imagine boarding an international flight, confident you are following every known rule. But while you are in the air, a law in your transit country changes. By the time your plane’s wheels touch the tarmac, you have, without any knowledge or intent, become a criminal.

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