Kochi: According to the citation, the crime branch will question the trial court staff to ensure that the footage on the memory card, which is a crucial evidence in the case of kidnapping and torture of the actress, has not been leaked. The crime branch is trying to re-examine what happened in the court on July 19, 2021, when the court gave permission to the lawyer of the first defendant NS Sunilkumar (Pulsar Suni) to examine the footage.
The Supreme Court has directed the courts to take special care to ensure the safety of digital devices containing crucial evidence in criminal cases. A forensic report has shocked the legal circles that the memory card containing footage of the actress being tortured was illegally opened in all the 3 courts which were responsible for keeping the memory card in safe custody. A detailed investigation will be required to ensure that the footage is not leaked to the court.
Apart from the court staff, the information coming out of the trial court casts doubt on the defense lawyers as well. The forensic report indicates that the memory card and the pen drive kept in the treasury’s security room were opened and examined on the day the trial court was brought. The pen drive and memory card reached the court on the morning of July 19, when the court gave an opportunity to the lawyer of the first defendant to see the footage. During the forensic examination, it was found that between 12.19 pm and 12.54 pm, the card was opened on a Vivo phone using a Jio SIM card. But the first defendant’s lawyer said that on July 19, 2021, he saw the footage in the presence of the judge on the laptop set up in the court at 3 pm and for about 15 minutes.
The lawyer said that the footage was shown on a pen drive laptop and not with a memory card that recorded the change in the hash value. If the first defendant’s lawyer says it is true, then the envelope containing the pen drive and the memory card was brought to the court to show him the footage. The investigation will proceed only if this person is found.
The investigation team does not have even that much information about what happened on the dates the memory cards were checked in the other two courts. The memory card was attached to the laptop on January 9, 2018, which was in the custody of the Angamaly Magistrate’s Court, at 9.58 pm, and on the Android phone, which was in the custody of the Principal Sessions Court, on December 13, 2018, at 10.58 pm. The preliminary conclusion is that it is unlikely that such a late-night inspection could have happened inside the court. The card can be opened and checked at night only if someone takes the memory card out of the court.
Further investigation: Petition will be heard today
Kochi – Today, the High Court will consider the plea filed by the government and the investigating officer seeking three more weeks for further investigation in the case of torturing the actress and filming obscene scenes. The petition is being considered by Justice Kausar Edapagam. The High Court extended the time till today for further investigation.
English Summary: Actress Attack case: Crime Branch to interrogate trial court employees
