An FIR is to be registered against Income Tax Officials in Ludhiana.

An FIR is to be registered against Income Tax Officials in Ludhiana. Threat to open the gate at gunpoint; Team had gone for a raid.

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The police are required by a Ludhiana local court to file a First Information Report (FIR) against Income Tax officers. The officials are charged with carrying out a violent and unlawful raid at the residence of Sumit Sofat, a city doctor.

In the order, Judicial Magistrate Keshav Agnihotri listed the following as prima facie allegations: criminal trespass, abuse of authority, assault, invasion of privacy, male officers’ forced search of a woman, unauthorized data extraction from personal devices, and an alleged miscarriage brought on by the raid.

According to the Court, police intervention is required when a cognizable offense is prima facie exposed. Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh, the Court declared that when a cognizable offense is reported, the police have no choice but to file a formal complaint.

The family believed the raid, which occurred around six in the morning, to be an attack.
The petition claims that Dr Sofat and his expectant wife were asleep when the raid occurred on December 18, 2024, at around six in the morning. According to the family, about fifteen to twenty officials—some of whom were dressed in military uniforms—scaled the gate, smashed the doors, and allegedly threatened the woman with a gun in order to gain in.

The couple reportedly contacted 100 and 112, fearing an attack because of a disagreement with the land mafia, but no police assistance showed up. After examining the video and supporting documentation submitted by the applicant, the court issued this order.

Rejecting the Police Objection

The police said that the complainant was abusing the legal system by filing repeated complaints, and they told the court that an FIR had already been filed against him on October 12 in relation to the same incident.

The police’s position was rejected by the magistrate, who stated that an investigation cannot be avoided on this basis and that the police are free to take action and submit a closure or cancellation report if the claims turn out to be untrue.

Order of the Court
The Court ordered that the current application be granted. A thorough investigation is mandated, and the involved Station House Officer (SHO) is instructed to file an FIR in accordance with the relevant legal rules.

Five Sofat Family Members Identified
On October 12, around ten months ago, Division Number 8 Police Station named five members of the Sofat family, who run the hospitals, for allegedly delaying income tax proceedings at their Ludhiana homes and businesses. Anurag Dhindsa, Deputy Director of Income Tax (Investigation), filed the FIR in response to his allegation. During the search, which was carried out on December 18, 2024, on the directive of the Principal Director of Income Tax, Ludhiana, the officials reported encountering threats and lack of cooperation.