R.S.Narula and M.R.Sharma JJ.

1. The petitioner, Shri H. L. Sibal, is an advocate of this court. On October 17, 1974, while he was, working in his office at about 7-30 a.m., respondent No. 3 entered his office and showed him a warrant under Section 132 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (hereinafter called "the Act"), authorising him to search the premises of the petitioner. Respondent No. 3 was at that time accompanied by respondent No. 4 and some other officials of the income-tax department. He also brought Major D. S. Brar and Shri P. L. Verma, retired Chief Engineer--Panch witnesses--to witness the search.

2. The case of the petitioner is that he informed respondent No. 3 that he had to appear in some cases before this court including a part-heard case in which he was to represent the Punjab State and the Punjab State Electricity Board, but he was ordered by respondent No. 3 not to leave his premises. The reason given was that the latter had been ordered by his superior officers in that behalf.

3. The son of the petitioner, Shri Kapil Sibal, advocate, was coming by air from Delhi and the wife of the petitioner was preparing to leave by car to receive him but she was also not a