New Delhi, 27 April (H.S.): The Tis Hazari court in Delhi has deferred the sentencing hearing for two accused in a 25‑year‑old case involving the alleged house‑raid and illegal search of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer’s residence. The court, presided over by Judicial Magistrate First Class Shashank Nandan Bhatt, postponed the hearing on the term of punishment for Ramanish, a former Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and retired ACP VK Pandey, after both sides submitted a plea for a settlement. The court has now listed the matter for Tuesday, April 28, to decide the quantum of sentence.

During the hearing, the complainant and former IRS officer Ashok Agrawal informed the court that the convicts had put forward certain proposals for an out‑of‑court settlement. Agrawal, in his own counter‑offer, has demanded unconditional apology and compensation as conditions for any settlement. The magistrate ordered the case to be taken up on the next day to decide the final sentence after examining the settlement angle.

On April 18, the court had convicted Ramanish and VK Pandey under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 427 (mischief causing damage), 448 (house‑breaking to commit an offence) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The matter stems from a complaint filed by Ashok Agrawal, who, at the time of the incident, was serving as Deputy Director of Enforcement in Delhi.

Agrawal alleged that the raid and search carried out at his home on October 19, 2000, along with his subsequent arrest, were entirely improper and actuated by malice. The Tis Hazari court, in its order, observed that the raid was conducted not in good faith, but with the sole purpose of undermining a previous order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) dated September 28, 2000. The CAT had directed a review of his suspension within four weeks, a direction that the CBI officials deliberately tried to sabotage.

The court noted 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 of Agrawal the very next morning. The court held that the search of his house and his arrest were not only illegal, but also showed a clear misuse of official power, as the officials used their position to harass and target an innocent officer.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar