Delhi court sentences two CBI officers to three months in 2000 assault case; suspends sentence for a month

A Delhi court sentenced two CBI officers, VK Pandey and Ramneesh (then SP, now joint director at CBI), to three months' simple imprisonment for offences under IPC sections 323 (hurt), 427 (mischief causing damage) and 448 (house trespass). The court said the acts were a serious, public-spirited violation of their powers as public servants and could not be viewed leniently. The sentence was suspended for one month after the convicts moved an application under CrPC Section 389, on furnishing bail bonds of Rs 25,000 with one surety of like amount. The bonds were accepted. The court also directed each convict to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation to the complainant within 30 days. The judge stressed that public officers must exercise independent judgment and cannot merely follow seniors' directions.

A CBI team conducted a search and arrest operation at Ashok Kumar Aggarwal's residence in Paschim Vihar. Aggarwal alleged that the officials forcibly entered his house in the early hours, assaulted him and violated legal procedures during the arrest.