Anticipatory bail denied to IPS officer in illegal raid

A Delhi court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of a senior Mizoram cadre IPS officer who is accused of conducting unauthorised raids in the national capital, illegally detaining multiple persons and demanding money from a foreign national.

The offences committed by the applicant "undermine the integrity of the justice system, erode public trust and tarnish the image of police as a whole", Special Judge (NDPS) Manu Goel Kharb said in an order while refusing bail to Shankar Chaudhary.

The matter is related to alleged police operations conducted between November 21 and 29, 2023, when Chaudhary was posted as Superintendent of Police (Narcotics), Mizoram, and supervised the said raids conducted by the Mizoram Police in Delhi.

In an order dated February 28, the court said, "Having considered the submissions and material on record, in particular, vigilance inquiry conducted at the behest of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the seriousness of the offences, this court is of the opinion that this is not a fit case for grant of anticipatory bail to the applicant (IPS officer)".

According to the prosecution, Chaudhary, while present in Delhi, led a team that allegedly carried out raids without lawful authority, conducted searches and seizures without preparing mandatory documentation such as seizure memos or panchnamas and detained several individuals without formal arrest or production before a magistrate within the stipulated time.