IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH. C.W.P. No. 2274 of 2009 Date of Decision: July 9, 2009 Prem Singh and another ...Petitioners Versus Union of India and others ...Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.M. KUMAR HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASWANT SINGH Present: Mr. Rajiv Atma Ram, Senior Advocate, with Mr.Vikas Kuthiala, Advocate, for the petitioners. Mr. Vivek Sethi, Advocate, for the respondents. 1. Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? M.M. KUMAR, J. We have heard learned counsel for the parties at length and have also perused the satisfaction note recorded under Section 132 of the Income- tax Act, 1961 (for brevity, ‘the Act’). Learned counsel for the petitioners at this stage has prayed for withdrawal of the petition, subject, however, to returning of seized files, hard disks, CDs/floppies concerning other clients for whom the petitioners have been acting as counsel/Chartered Accountant. Mr. Vivek Sethi, learned counsel for the respondents after obtaining instructions from Shri G.D. Bhatia, Inspector of Income Tax, O/o Deputy Director of Income-tax (Investigation), states that files, hard disks, CDs/floppies seized by the Department have been kept in sealed covers and C.W.P. No. 2274 of 2009 there is no objection with regard to returning of those files, hard disks, CDs/floppies which pertained to the clients of the petitioners. In that regard a further request has been made that the petitioners can approach the Deputy Director of Income-tax (Investigation) on any working day and in their presence the seized material would be un-sealed. The material seized shal also be examined in their presence. The files, hard disks, CDs/floppies pertaining to the clients of the petitioners shall thereafter be returned to the petitioners. In view of the above, the writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn. However, the petitioners shall approach the Deputy Director of Income-tax (Investigation) on 15.7.2009 at 10.00 a.m. for the purposes of obtaining files, hard disks, CDs/floppies etc. belonging to their clients. The files pertaining to the petitioners should also be returned, except those where proceedings in pursuance to satisfaction recorded under Section 132 of the Act had been initiated, at the earliest but not later than one week. The copies of the files, hard disks, CDs/floppies to be retained by the Department, shall be furnished to the petitioners. Copies of the order be given dasti to the learned counsel for the parties under the signatures of the Bench Secretary. (M.M. KUMAR) JUDGE (JASWANT SINGH) July 9, 2009 JUDGE Pkapoor 2