Actress case: HC rejects plea of main accused Vidya Sagar

Vijayawada: The high court on Tuesday rejected the plea of YSRCP functionary Kukkala Vidya Sagar to send the electronic gadgets seized from Bollywood actress Kadambari Jethwani to forensic science laboratory (FSL). As the orders for preservation of data have already been given, further orders cannot be given at this stage without hearing both sides, the court said.Vidya Sagar filed a petition before the high court contending that police are about to return the gadgets seized from Jethwani in the case registered by Ibrahimpatnam police following his complaint. Following a complaint over the alleged sale of Vidya Sagar's land with forged documents by Jethwani, Ibrahimpatnam police had arrested her and seized her phone and other gadgets. Raising apprehensions that evidence in the case is likely to be erased, he sought multiple reliefs in his petition, including a gag order, refraining higher officials of the police department from interfering with the investigation, and not to release the frozen bank accounts of Jethwani. Senior counsel T Niranjan Reddy said police are planning to take back the gadgets from FSL and return them to Jethwani. He said the gadgets contain crucial evidence pertaining to the case and if they are returned, data may be erased, which would be detrimental to the interests of the petitioner.The high court earlier directed the police to preserve the data and the gadgets till further orders. Later, Vidya Sagar pleaded to send back the gadgets to FSL and obtain a report in a sealed cover. Objecting to Vidya Sagar's plea, advocate general Dammalapati Srinivas said the high court has already given orders protecting interest of the petitioner and he cannot ask for modification of the court's interim orders. Further hearing of the case has been posted to Oct 16.
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