No data retrieved from Rai’s phone

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday submitted before the court the mobile phone seized from accused-turned-approver Shyamvar Rai in the 2012 Sheena Bora murder case. The investigating agency informed the court that the forensic science laboratory (FSL) Hyderabad could not analyse the mobile phone because none of the software and hardware tools available in the laboratory supported the media in it. The CBI also requested the court to expedite hearing in the case.

The CBI produced the phone in compliance with a February 20 court order on an application filed by main accused, Indrani Mukerjea’s lawyer Sudeep Pasbola.

The current investigating officer in this case, K.K. Singh, produced the phone in the CBI court on Wednesday and said that it had been with the CFSL, Hyderabad, for examination, and was sought from CFSL to be produced before this court.

The officer in a reply filed before special judge J.C. Jagdale stated that perusal of the laboratory report showed that the phone could not be analysed as the software/hardware tools available in the laboratory did not support the media. In the same reply, the officer also requested the court to expedite the trial. The application read, “Keeping in view of the progress and the seriousness of the trial of the present case, at least three consecutive dates in a fortnight are required to be considered and fixed for speedy trial of the case.”