Hyderabad: It is not just in high-profile cases like the cash-for-vote fraud that Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) can seek voice sample comparison during investigation. Even in cases where a complainant traps an alleged corrupt official, the agency can adopt the same procudure, and one such rare development took place recently.In Nalgonda, ACB officials had registered a criminal case last year based on a complaint lodged by a person, who alleged that G Shyam Prasad, ADE of TGSPDCL allegedly demanded Rs 70,000 for installing a net meter to his solar power plant. The accused allegedly demanded and accepted the bribe, and the entire transaction was recorded by the complainant using a spy camera. Based on the evidence submitted by the complainant, ACB sleuths registered a criminal case.
CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates
As part of the ongoing investigation, the agency approached the ACB court seeking permission to send the accused to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for voice sample match.“The conversation between the complainant and the accused is stored in two microSD cards that were collected during the course of investigation,’’ ACB officials informed the court.Challenging the petition, the accused contented that the court could not compel him to provide his voice sample, arguing that such a direction would infringe upon his fundamental rights. He also argued that “there is no provision in law empowering the court to direct him to appear before the director of FSL for recording of his voice sample”. However, after hearing the arguments of both ACB and the accused, the I additional special judge for trial of SPE & ACB cases rejected the contentions and permitted the agency to collect Prasad’s voice sample.“The contentions raised on behalf of the accused officer are not tenable and that he can be directed to appear before the director, FSL, to record his voice sample for comparison of the same with the voice stored in the two micro SD cards, for analysis and report,’’ the judge said. The court directed the accused to appear at the FSL office on Aug 21.
