Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Chandigarh, January 18
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has said that the video recording of interrogation of Kalyani Singh, an accused in the murder of Sukhmanpreet Singh Sidhu @ Sippy Sidhu, was not available due to the limited capacity of the recording system installed in the CBI office.
While replying to an application filed by Kalyani Singh for initiation of contempt proceedings against CBI officers for not preserving videography/audiography conducted during her police remand, the CBI denied all charges. The CBI said the recording system of CCTV cameras available in the CBI office had the facility to keep data for a limited period only. It was not possible for it to preserve the CCTV footage as no CCTV recording prior to August 13, 2022 was available in the recording system.
The CBI said the efforts were being made by the agency to upgrade the recording system. In this regard, the CBI, Chandigarh, had made a correspondence with the CBI office, Delhi, and the matter was under process. As the CBI was already in the process of upgrading its recording system, it showed that there was no mala fide on part of the CBI in this matter.
In the application, Kalyani alleged that she was tortured throughout her interrogation conducted by the agency during her remand period from June 15, 2022 to June 21, 2022.
Kalyani had filed an application before the special Magistrate, CBI, for making reference to the Supreme Court for initiation of contempt proceedings against all officials responsible for not preserving videography/ audiography conducted during her remand period as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court.
Sippy Sidhu, an advocate, was shot dead at a park in Sector 27, Chandigarh, on the night of September 20, 2015. After his murder, the police had registered a case against unidentified persons. However, the police could not solve the case. It was then transferred to the CBI in 2016.
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