16 personnel files downloaded by ED staff during raid can't be treated as evidence: Calcutta HC
The Calcutta High Court ruled on Monday that the 16 personal files downloaded by an Enforcement Directorate (ED) official from the computer of an office linked to a prime accused in the multi-crore cash for school jobs case, Sujay Krishna Bhadra, while conducting a raid last month cannot be treated as evidence by any state or central investigating agency.
IANS
Sep 4, 2023 09:39
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Kolkata, Sep 4 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court ruled on Monday that the 16 personal files downloaded by an Enforcement Directorate (ED) official from the computer of an office linked to a prime accused in the multi-crore cash for school jobs case, Sujay Krishna Bhadra, while conducting a raid last month cannot be treated as evidence by any state or central investigating agency.
The directive from the single-judge bench of Justice Trithankar Ghosh came as a hurdle for the cyber crime division of Kolkata Police, which was investigating the matter following a complaint lodged by an employee of the said office that 16 personal files were downloaded during the raid with the intention of “planting evidence”.
Already, the single-judge bench has sought the forensic report of the 16 personal files from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Kolkata.
Two CFSL officials were present during the hearing who said they could not hand over the report on Monday.
The report was supposed to be handed over in the presence of the officials of both the ED and the cyber crime division of Kolkata Police. But since no official from Kolkata Police was present during the handover on Monday, it could not handed over.
The report will now be submitted to the bench on Tuesday. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled on September 6.
Justice Ghosh made some crucial observations on Monday as he said that the court is quite intrigued about the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed by the ED in the school jobs case.
“Another bench of the Calcutta High Court where the matter is also heard had given some crucial directions in the matter. Let the ED officials do their work. This bench is hearing the matter as per the directions of the Supreme Court. So why are new things brought forward here,” Justice Ghosh questioned.
