In a significant development in the ongoing case involving allegations of harassment by a senior IPS officer, the Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Police to preserve all relevant digital evidence linked to the complaint made by a woman IAS officer.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, while hearing the plea filed by the IAS officer, emphasised that the preservation of digital material is crucial for ensuring justice and potential future scrutiny by the courts. The court ordered the preservation of IPDRs (Internet Protocol Detail Records), CDRs (Call Detail Records), tower location data, mobile and landline usage logs, and Wi-Fi logs of both the accused IPS officer and the police personnel who investigated the case and later filed a closure report.
The court specified that the digital data must be secured for the period between July 2023 and September 2023. However, it clarified that this directive is limited solely to evidence preservation and should not be interpreted as a comment on the merits of the case.
Justice Sharma further noted that the direction does not establish any rights or claims for either party and that the authenticity, admissibility, and relevance of the preserved data will be evaluated at an appropriate stage during the legal proceedings.
The controversy dates back to last year when a magistrate’s court accepted the Delhi Police’s cancellation report on the IAS officer’s allegations. The trial court observed that the woman officer failed to disclose that a call was made to the accused on October 17, 2023, just one day before the FIR was filed. The IAS officer later claimed that the call was made by her husband using her phone to confront the officer.
Following the lower court’s decision, the IAS officer challenged the closure in the Delhi High Court, leading to the current order focused on securing digital evidence as the matter continues to be examined.
