Andhra Pradesh High Court orders actress Kadambari Jethwani to keep confiscated gadgets

Jethwani Case: Police to Keep Actress's Phone, Other Gadgets

Vijayawada: High Court of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday ordered the police to secure the cellphone and other electronic devices confiscated from the actress Kadambari Jethwani in the case registered against her as a result of a complaint filed by YSRCP officer Kukkala Vidya SagarThe court directed the police to file a detailed objection and allowed Jethwani to file a supplementary statement.
Vidya Sagar had approached the top court seeking an order restraining the police from returning the seized devices and securing the data. He had also filed a petition seeking a silence order on the media and sought a demand that another officer not conduct a parallel investigation into the case involving Jethwan and him. The top court had earlier issued interim orders directing the police not to hand over the devices until further orders.
Arguing on behalf of the state government, Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas said the phone and devices were with the police only. He mentioned that there is a provision in the CrPC for return of seized articles to the accused. Justice BVLN Chakravarthy observed that the permission of the trial court was necessary for return of seized articles and suggested checking the provisions of the law.
Senior advocate T Niranjan Reddy, appearing for Vidya Sagar, said the mobile phone and electronic devices should be sent back to the forensic laboratory for examination and the report should be submitted in a sealed cover to the trial court or the high court. He also upheld the interview given by Jethwani to a news channel despite court orders. Taking into consideration the arguments, the high court adjourned the matter for further hearing to October 1.