KOCHI: Crime branch sleuths probing a conspiracy case against actor Dileep and others for allegedly plotting to kill the police officers investigating the actor rape case on Wednesday said the forensic analysis of a hard disk seized from a Mumbai-based lab would prove to what extent the accused have tampered with the evidence in the case.
CB had on Tuesday submitted before the high court that their probe has revealed that Dileep's lawyers sent four phones to the Mumbai lab to extract/delete data from them. CB had also said that two phones were submitted before the HC after extracting/deleting data.
The agency's sources said all the phones were cloned at the lab. "We have seized the external hard disk from the lab which contains the soft copies, the draft forensic analysis, forensic images and extracted files of the four phones. The hard disk has been sent to Thiruvananthapuram Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). We hope that by comparing the FSL reports of the submitted phones and the hard disk seized from Mumbai, we will be able to unearth the extent of tampering," said an officer.
According to CB, two of these four phones were submitted to the HC registry based on a court order. Two others belonged to Suraj, an accused, who has not produced them despite notice. "A SIM card used in the other phone belongs to Roshan Chittoor, a production controller, and we suspect that it phone was used by Dileep," an officer said.
CB sources said Vincent Chowallur, a former income tax officer introduced Dileep's lawyers to the lab officials. "The lab usually provides expert assistance during corporate litigations and serves other agencies as well. We have questioned three officials of the lab in connection with the case. We have also talked to Vincent over the phone. He will be summoned for questioning if the need arises," said the officer.
An official said the lab was into device data extraction. "It was not a case of casual formatting. Scientific extraction of data can only be done by those with the technical know-how. Also, there are different tools, some even made in foreign countries for the purpose. The lab which provided them with the assistance is not a concealed one. They provide such services in a legitimate way to various agencies and clients," said an official.
Meanwhile, CB sleuths said that investigation is also on in connection with the revelations made by other witnesses referred to in the report filed before HC, including Salim, an NRI, who had alleged that he faced an extortion attempt from the side of some of the accused. CB had also apprised the court about the revelations by one Dasan who used to work at Dileep's house and happened to overhear the accused talk about a plan to eliminate Pulsar Suni upon his release from prison.
CB had also alleged that Dasan was tutored by the lawyers of the accused to not reveal the truth before the police. A detailed probe regarding it is also on, sleuths said.
