The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the CBI not to compel a businessman and a senior Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) official, arrested by the agency in connection with a bribery case, to unlock the phones allegedly seized from them at the time of arrest.
The High Court’s direction came on the pleas by the duo challenging legality of a trial court order asking them to provide passwords of the seized phones or unlock them.
Petitioners Chander Shekhar, a senior DRI official, and businessman Rajesh Dhanda, through their counsel told the High Court that the direction to unlock the phones or provide the passwords was a violation of their right against self-incrimination.
The lawyer for the CBI said the phones were seized from the accused at the time of their arrest.
The trial court’s January 22 order had come on CBI’s application seeking directions to the accused to unlock their phones seized at the time of arrest.
Dhanda was arrested on January 1 by the CBI along with Shekhar, then DRI Additional Director General (ADG) of Ludhiana in connection with the case.
