BHOPAL: A computer hard disc which possibly contains leaked electronic evidence of the high-profile honey trap racket case will be sent for forensic analysis to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Hyderabad.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore Bench has handed over the concerned hard disc in a sealed cover to SSP-Indore Ruchi Vardhan Mishra (also a member of SIT probing the entire honey trap racket case) for being forwarded to CFSL-Hyderabad for analysis.
A double judge HC bench comprising Justices SC Sharma and Shailendra Shukla observed on Tuesday that as the aforesaid material allegedly relates to a crime, which is the subject matter of the writ petitions being heard by the court, hence it needs investigation.
The HC in Indore is hearing three petitions seeking CBI probe into the alleged honey-trap racket. One of the petitions has been filed by Digvijaya Singh Bhandari, who is being represented by senior advocate Manohar Dalal.
“The source of the hard disc is the Indore-based Lokswami newspaper group. The disc submitted to the HC in a sealed cover is a leaked copy of the audio-visual evidence, which was compiled by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police for the state government. The court has thus handed over the hard disc in sealed cover to SSP-Indore (who is an SIT member also) for being sent to CFSL-Hyderabad for analysis,” Dalal told journalists in Indore.
The entire audio-visual evidence comprising thousands of clips contained in a hard disc and other electronic equipments seized from the arrested accused has already been sent by the SIT in the past to CFSL-Hyderabad on the directions of HC.
Appearing on behalf of the state government and police, the state’s Advocate General Shashank Shekhar stated before the HC that the process of analysis will take a long time and they’ve received a request from the CFSL-Hyderabad for grant of seven to eight months time.
The Advocate General, however, assured the court that the state government shall be making all possible endeavour to ensure that a report is received at an early date.
The alleged high-profile honey trap racket was busted in September with arrest of five women (having high links in political and bureaucratic circles) from Indore and Bhopal.
Subsequent probe revealed strong possibility of racket operatives having targeted rich, famous and influential individuals from business, political and bureaucratic world to earn fortune.