JUDGMENT

Mrs. Sujata V. Manohar, J.-Leave granted.

2. Respondent No. 1 is a Director of M/s. Continental Transport and Construction Corporation Limited. Some of the other directors of the Company are one Ramesh Gandhi and one Mahesh Gandhi. The first respondent and the said two directors are brothers. In or about February, 1993 a raid was conducted by the Income Tax Department, Dhanbad on the office, residence and the factory premises of M/s. Continental Transport and Construction Corporation Limited and the first respondent as well as the other directors of the said company. Certain documents were seized during the raids. The documents so seized were stored by the then Assistant Director (Investigation), Department of Income Tax, Dhanbad in one of the steel almirahs kept in his chamber. During the night of 8th/9th March, 1993 the documents seized were burnt after breaking open the office s steel almirah in which documents were kept. In respect of this incident local police registered an FIR bearing No. 159 dated 9.3.1993 in Police Station, Dhanbad, Dhansar Under Sections 457, 436, 427, 201 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage t