Reports of Cyber Lab in Karnataka not admissible in court of law

The Cyber Lab at the Cyber Crime Cell in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) established 14 years ago does not have legal sanctity as its forensic reports are not admissible in the court of law.

This, the police say, is why investigations into cyber crime cases, including the two high-profile cases, in the recent past have been delayed.

Admitting that Bangalore’s Cyber Lab-certified reports are not admissible in the court of law, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B. Dayanand, who also holds additional charge as Director of the Forensic Science Laboratory, said: “This is because police officials run the Cyber Lab and not subject experts.”

Though the lab is equipped with the facility to analyse mobile phones and CCTV cameras, he said it can be used only for investigation purposes as the findings cannot be submitted before the court as evidence.

The investigations into cases related to Additional Director-General of Police P. Ravindranath, and Hungund MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar and his aide Somashekar Gowda have been delayed as the Cyber Lab findings cannot be submitted to court.

Mr. Ravindranath is accused of having photographed a woman at a coffee shop. Mr. Kashappanavar and Mr. Gowda are accused of assaulting two police constables at a bar in the city.

At present, all sensitive cases are referred to the Cyber Labs in the Forensic Science Labs in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad whose reports are admissible in court. While the CCTV camera footage taken from Skyye Bar, involving the Hungund legislator, has been sent to Ahmedabad, the mobile phone used by Mr. Ravindranath for allegedly taking photographs has been sent to Hyderabad.

“These labs are taking up the cases on a priority basis,” said Mr. Dayanand.

C-DAC to the rescue

Meanwhile, the Police Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) with C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram to renovate the Cyber Lab here. As part of the MoU, the work on remodelling the lab will begin within three months and C-DAC officials will train 50 newly recruited scientific officers on forensic analysis.

The officials will also assist investigations in the initial three months as per the MoU, said Mr. Dayanand.