New Delhi, 28 April (H.S.): Tis Hazari Court in Delhi has sentenced Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Joint Director Ramneesh and retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) V K Pandey to three months’ imprisonment, along with a fine of ₹50,000 each, in a 25‑year‑old case related to a controversial raid on the residence of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer.
The Judicial Magistrate First Class, Shashank Nandan Bhatt, delivered the verdict after finding both accused guilty of acting with malafide intent during the 2000 operation.
Conviction in the Ashok Agarwal raid case
The case stems from the actions of then‑Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramneesh and VK Pandey (then Inspector in the CBI), who carried out a pre‑dawn search and arrest at the home of Ashok Kumar Agarwal, a Delhi‑based IRS officer, on October 19, 2000. Agarwal, then Deputy Director of Enforcement, had challenged his suspension before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which on September 28, 2000, directed the authorities to review his “deemed suspension” within four weeks.
The court held that, instead of complying with the CAT order, CBI officers held a secret meeting on the evening of October 18, 2000, and planned the raid and arrest for the next morning. The Tis Hazari magistrate ruled that the search and subsequent arrest were not only illegal but also amounted to an abuse of official power and an attempt to subvert the tribunal’s decision.
The judge convicted the two officers under Sections 323 (causing hurt), 427 (mischief), 448 (criminal trespass) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The ruling described the operation as a “malicious” use of state machinery against an officer who had sought and obtained a favourable interim order.
By imposing a three‑month jail term and fine, the court has sent a clear message on accountability of senior investigation‑agency officials. For Agarwal, the verdict comes after more than two decades of legal battle, underscoring the delays often faced by public servants challenging misuse of power within the system. Legal observers see the case as a rare instance where high‑ranking current and retired officers have been penalised for conduct that crossed the bounds of lawful investigation and entered the realm of targeted harassment.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
