The other incident relates to the State High Court verdict, through which the disciplinary action taken against Rajesh Rajora, a senior IAS officer, was declared null and void. Rajora was suspended following a raid by the Income Tax Department on his residence. The High Court held that the Income Tax Department raided the residence of Rajora to take revenge. A top official of the Income Tax Department was upset with Rajora, who denied the allotment of a government bungalow to him. Rajora was Home secretary at that time.

The MP high court has quashed the I-T department's warrant of authorisation and consequent search and seizure proceedings initiated against Rajesh Rajora and said that they were without any sufficient ground or material available on record.

A division bench, comprising acting chief Justice KK Lahoti and Justice MA Siddiqui, said, 'We have examined the entire proceedings and documents which are the basis for issuance of warrant of authorisation and ultimately the seizure memo and find that the entire action initiated by the I-T department was without any sufficient ground or material.'

The court said, 'It appears that because of dispute over allotment of house, the respondents (I-T department officials) issued warrant of authorisation and consequently search on the premises of the petitioner was conducted.'

Rajesh Rajora and his wife Sameeta Rajora moved the High Court challenging the I-T department's search and seizure carried out at their official residence on May 30, 2008.

Reacting sharply after the High Court verdict, the state IAS officers' Association held an emergency meeting and demanded prosecution of Income Tax officials. The Association also decided to write to the union Cabinet Secretary and the Union Finance Secretary seeking strict action against the I-T officials who conducted raids without any concrete evidence.

Association president Aruna Sharma told the media, 'We will take the matter to a logical end'. The Association members were highly upset over the manner in which the I-T officials tried to insult and humiliate an IAS officer on flimsy ground only because a high-ranking I-T official felt aggrieved over delay in allotment of a government house to him.

The Association also decided to write to the state government to do away with the departmental inquiry against Rajora and release his salary of the suspension period. The Association has decided to request the state government to apprise the Prime Minister's office of the matter and request it to initiate appropriate action against the guilty I-T officials.

Meanwhile, Rajora filed a complaint against the Income Tax officers, who had resided his house five years ago. In an application to the police, Rajora sought registration of criminal cases against the I-T officers for fabricating evidence in order to book him in a case of holding unaccounted wealth.

The decision of the IAS officers' Association and of Rajora to file a complaint demanding criminal proceedings caused angry reaction among the officers and employee of the I-T department.

The Director General (Investigation) Income Tax, Ameredra Tiwary, in a strongly worded statement, said the department would not stoop to the level of commenting on every statement irresponsibly. 'We will maintain our elegance and grace'. Tiwary said his department is mulling over legal options. 'Come what may, we will take the case to its logical end, unperturbed by any interruption, deliberate, intentional or unintentional,' said Tiwary.

Tiwary said the department stands by all its officials and would protect them till the end and to the hilt, No inquiry has been instituted into the affair by the CBDT till date, Tiwary added. Sources in I-T department confirmed that Rajesh Rajora's income tax assessment showed that the owned assets worth Rs. 1.5 crore more than his known sources of income. His case is pending in the I-T Tribunal at present.

Thus, the chain of events has taken such a turn that may ultimately take the shape of a direct confrontation between the members of two highly prestigious All India services. It is felt that ultimately, the complex issue may be resolved through direct talks between the Prime Minister and the State Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, Raghavji's resignation has provided a very hot plank to the opposition on the eve of the monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha, which is to commerce on July 8. The July session will also be the last session of the present Vidhan Sabha, as its five-year term will be ending in December this year. With a view to put the BJP government in the dock, the Congress has already served notice about its intention to move a motion of no-confidence against the state government. The chargesheet is ready. But the resignation of Ragahvji, following charges of sodomy with a young man sordid facts have come to the surface It is alleged that the victim of the 80-year-old senior BJP politician was employed by the owner of Som distilleries, a liquor baron of Madhya Pradesh, on the recommendation of Raghavji. The liquor baron is known for his close proximity with the politician. It has close ties both with both the Congress and the BJP.

The Congress now hopes to exploit the issue of Raghavji's resignation to the hilt. The moment Raghavji's resignation was announced on the morning of July 5, the Congress held demonstration both in Bhopal and Vidisha, which Raghavji represents in the Vidhan Sabha. The Congress is now pressing its demand for the criminal prosecution of the former finance Minister. The Congress hopes that Raghavji's resignation will better its prospects in the coming Vidhan Sabha election. But observers feel that such personal issues do not influence voters to a great extent. They point out the example of Uttarakhand where the Congress won the elections despite serious allegations against ND Tiwari, who happened to be the first Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, Raghavji, his wife and daughter have denied the allegations and alleged that they were part of a political conspiracy hatched against the former finance minister. The final picture will emerge once the CD and other related evidence is examined. The decision to prosecute Raghavji will be taken after a thorough investigation, police say. (IPA Service)