FIR against Ludhiana Hospital owner, kin for obstructing Income Tax raid
Income Tax Officials Threatened During Search at Prominent Ludhiana Hospital
Ludhiana: The owner of a prominent private hospital in Ludhiana, along with family members, has been booked by the police for allegedly threatening and obstructing Income Tax (I-T) officials during a search operation conducted in December 2024.
The case filed on Wednesday names the owner of the city's prominent Sofat Hospital, his wife, their son, and his wife. The family is accused of intimidating Income Tax officers, hindering the search, and refusing to cooperate with officials during the raid at their business and residential premises.
According to news reports, the FIR was registered based on a complaint submitted by Anurag Dhindsa, Deputy Director, Income Tax (Investigation-I). The charges include Sections Section 218 (Resistance to the taking of property by the lawful authority of a public servant), 221 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public function), 222 (omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance), 224 (threat of injury to public servant ), 351 (criminal intimidation) and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
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A senior I-T officer alleged that during the search operations, the owner of the hospital and his son repeatedly threatened him with serious consequences if the search was carried out or continued on their premises. The son specifically threatened to file false cases of sexual harassment against the search team, claimed strong connections with the local police and judiciary, and warned that, as a doctor, he could easily fabricate situations suggesting bodily harm to himself and his family, including his wife and mother.
These acts of intimidation were intended to obstruct the officials from performing their duties and to disrupt the search operation. The occupants also initially refused to provide or sign statements that could have revealed these facts.
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