New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) The CBI today told the Delhi HighCourt that it was awaiting the forensic results of the mobilephones of nine JNU students which were seized in connectionwith its probe into the disappearance of the varsity's studentNajeeb Ahmed last year.
The probe agency filed a status report in the courtgiving details of the steps they have taken in the matterwhich were not discussed in the open court.
"CBI has handed over a status report. It reflects furthersteps taken in the matter. The court does not think itappropriate to discuss the details of the investigation givenin the status report in the open court," a bench of Justices SMuralidhar and I S Mehta said.
Najeeb (27), a student of M.Sc Biotechnology, had gonemissing from the Mahi-Mandvi hostel of the Jawaharlal NehruUniversity (JNU) on October 15 last year following a scufflewith some other students, allegedly affiliated to the SanghParivar student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP), the previous night.
The agency, which refused to give a copy of the report tothe counsel for Najeeb's mother citing the reasons of leakageof contents in the media, showed the details to thecomplainant's advocate for his perusal inside the court.
During the hearing, CBI's counsel Nikhil Goel said theirinvestigation was continuing and they have seized the mobilephones of nine students suspected of being behind Najeeb'sdisappearance and sent them to the forensic science laboratory(FSL) which is yet to give its report.
Their call detail records were also being analysed, hesaid, adding that since the case was of a sensitive nature andif the details comes out in the media, it would be difficultfor officials to extract information.
When the CBI's counsel urged the court to conduct in-chamber proceedings in the matter, the bench said it wouldconsider it on the next date of hearing on December 21. Thecourt considered it appropriate to wait for the FSL results.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Najeeb'smother, asked why the CBI was not taking anyone into custodyto extract information and alleged that it was a politicalabduction by ABVP students due to which the probe agencieswere acting slow.
To this, the bench said it was not supposed to supervisethe probe at this stage but only to ensure that the probe wasnot hampered or influenced in any manner.
"We cannot put unnecessary pressure on the probe agency.
We completely understand the anxiety and tension of theparents," the bench said.
The court was also informed that the CBI plea seeking theconsent of the suspect students for a polygraph test waslisted for hearing tomorrow before a trial court here.
The CBI had earlier faced flak from the high court forits "complete lack of interest" and not showing any result inits probe into the disappearance of Najeeb, five months afterbeing handed over the investigation.
Over a month after Najeeb went missing, his mother hadmoved the High Court on November 25 last year, seekingdirections to the police to trace her son.
The high court had immediately directed the Delhi Policeto "explore all angles" and "cut across political barriers" totrace the young man, saying no one could just vanish from theheart of the national capital.
However, as the police remained clueless about Najeeb'swhereabouts even after seven months since he went missing, theprobe was handed over to CBI on May 16, 2017.
In August, when CBI failed to file a fresh progressreport in the case, the high court had rebuked it, saying theprobe was not transferred to the agency "for fun".
On September 6, the court again directed the CBI to takesteps to trace Najeeb. PTI SKV HMP PPSARC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.