HC notice to CBI for 'raid by mistake' on judge's house

The Orissa High Court on Friday issued a show cause notice to the CBI and the central and state governments days after a CBI team wrongly showed up at the house of a sitting judge post midnight while looking for a retired judge in a graft case.

Admitting a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Orissa High Court Bar Association, the court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to inform it on whose permission its officials visited the residence of Justice C.R. Dash.

"The High Court has issued notice to the CBI, Centre and state government over the trespassing of the investigating agency into the official residence of a sitting judge," said Ashok Parija, President of the bar association.

"The next hearing of the case has been posted for October 16."

CBI officials had in the early hours of Wednesday tried to trespass into the official residence, in Cuttack, of Orissa High Court Justice Dash while conducting searches in connection with a graft case involving retired Orissa High Court judge I.M. Quddusi.

The agency was reportedly relying on an outdated address book.

This snowballed into a huge controversy after the bar association on Wednesday went on a strike demanding action against the erring officials. The lawyers demanded a high-level judicial probe into the incident.

However, it has put its ongoing cease work stir on hold till October 19.

"We have put the cease work agitation on hold. The future course of action will be decided on October 19," said Parija.

Meanwhile, the Commissionerate Police has registered a case at the Cantonment Police Station in Cuttack against the CBI officials on the report of the security personnel who were on duty at the residence.

The CBI has refuted the allegations.

--IANS

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