Delhi HC summons EOW officer accused of threatening litigant, behaving rudely with lawyer

The Delhi High Court has summoned a Sub-Inspector (SI) from the Economic Offences Wing at Gurugram after the representatives of a financial services company claimed that he threatened them after they approached the Court.

The company also alleged that the Investigating Officer (IO), SI Sanjay, had behaved rudely with its lawyer over the phone when she attempted to serve him notice of a petition filed by the company for de-freezing of bank account.

The petitioner highlighted these claims in an application for an early hearing of its plea.

On March 11, Justice Jasmeet Singh said that it was not possible to hear the petition earlier than April 10, as scheduled earlier.

"The roster of this Court does not permit a date earlier than 10.04.2026. 4. It shall be the endeavour of the Court to take up the matter on the date already fixed," the Court said.

However, the Court summoned the IO accused of threatening the petitioner-company and its lawyer.

"Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Investigating Officer, is directed to remain present in Court on the next date of hearing," the Court ordered.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Shanky Financial Services (petitioner) against the Reserve Bank of India, a bank and the EOW.

The grievance raised in the main plea was about a lien placed on the petitioner's bank account, which, it alleged, had brought all business to a standstill and left the firm unable to pay its staff.

In its early hearing application, the petitioner alleged that the EOW's IO, SI Sanjay, visited the company's office on March 7 and threatened the company by asking it to withdraw its bank account defreezing petition. The company claimed that SI Sanjay warned that the company would otherwise be implicated in false and frivolous cases. CCTV footage of the visit was placed on record.

The company argued that the EOW officer made it a "prestige issue" and had also demanded why the company had approached the Delhi High Court instead of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The company also referred to an earlier incident where SI Sanjay allegedly misbehaved with its lawyer last month. A separate affidavit about this alleged incident was also filed by the lawyer, advocate Tanisha Bhatia.

The affidavit filed by the lawyer referred to SI Sanjay's response when she tried to serve advance copies of the company's petition on the IO, as required under Delhi High Court Rules.

She submitted that SI Sanjay responded rudely over a phone call, in very abusive language. The SI's comments were totally derogatory, the lawyer said. The SI is alleged to have responded by saying,

"Tum mujhe copy kyu bhej rahi ho main ni aaunga, Delhi High Court hai to kya hua? Tum mere department ko serve karvao mujhe dobara bhejna mat or jab court se aaega tab main dekhunga."

(Translation: Why are you sending me a copy? So what if it's the Delhi High court. Serve my department. Don't send it to me again. When the Court sends it to me, I will see).

Thereafter, arrangements were made to serve notice of the petition to the Commissioner of Police of EOW, Gurugram, rather than serving the IO directly.

The Court has now summoned the IO in the matter, calling for his personal presence when the matter is heard next in April.

"Let the notice be served to Mr. Sanjay Kumar, through D.C.P, Gurugram through all modes including electronic on the petitioner taking steps within 1 week from today, returnable on 10.04.2026," the Court ordered.