Complaint For Trespass Registered Against CBI Agents Who 'Mistakenly' Raided Sitting Judge’s House

A complaint of trespass has been filed against the Central Bureau of Investigation for raiding the house of Orissa High Court Judge, Justice C.R. Dash instead of retd. Justice I.M. Quddusi against whom the CBI had registered a case.

Justice Dash had reportedly complained about the incident to Chief Justice Vineet Saran, after which the officers were summoned to the Court. An F.I.R. has been lodged in the Cantonment Police Station being registered as F.I.R. No. 76 of 2017 under Sections 448, 353, 511 and 34 of Indian Penal Code.

Responding to the allegations, the CBI in a statement “strongly refutes any allegation of attempt to search or trespass at the residence of any sitting Orissa High Court judge”.

The Orissa High Court Bar Association had also taken a stern view of the incident, resolving to cease work in protest of the raids. The Association had held an extraordinary General Body meeting right away, noting, “Several members participating in the discussion expressed their grave concern over the said illegal and in-human disturbance created in the house of Hon’ble Justice Shri CR Dash, Hon’ble Judge, Orissa High Court.”

It had then resolved that lawyers will boycott court work for one day and had called upon lawyers’ bodies across Cuttack to support the boycott. The Association has also decided to approach Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court Justice Vineet Saran to demand a judicial inquiry into the incident.

The raids were made in connection with a case registered against Justice Quddusi alleging that he had conspired with one Ms. Bhawana Pandey to “settle” the matter concerning debarment of Prasad Institute of Medical Science, Lucknow, which is one of the 46 colleges barred by the Government. These colleges have been prohibited from admitting medical students for the forthcoming 1 or 2 years because of substandard facilities and non-fulfillment of requisite criteria.

The FIR reveals that Mr. B.P. Yadav, who manages affairs of the medical institute, got in touch with Mr. Quddusi and Ms. Pandey and “entered into criminal conspiracy for getting the matter settled”.

Mr. Quddusi had allegedly advised Mr. Yadav to withdraw his challenge to the debarment from the Apex Court and approach the Allahabad High Court instead. The High Court had then granted an interim stay against the debarment.

While the Medical Council of India has approached the Supreme Court against this order, Mr. Quddusi and Ms. Pandey have allegedly assured Mr. Yadav that they will “get the matter settled in the Apex Court through their contacts”.

They have also allegedly engaged one Mr. Biswanath Agrawala, who claims “very close contact with senior relevant public functionaries” and has assured that he would get the matter “favorably settled”. The FIR claims that Mr. Agrawala has demanded a huge gratification in lieu of this and that the conspirers will soon be meeting at Delhi to deliver the amount.

A case has, therefore, been registered against Mr. Quddusi, Ms. Pandey, Yadav and Mr. Agrawala. Offences have also been registered against Mr. Palash Yadav, who manages the affairs of the medical institute along with Mr. B.P. Yadav, and Mr. Sudhir Giri, who supposedly facilitated the meet between the conspirers. Mr. Giri is the founder of the Venkateshwara Group of Institutions.