E-Paper
Haryana IPS officer’s death: SIT failed to seize laptop due to its technical inability, claims officer’s wife
In a detailed reply submitted to the SIT under Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, Amneet on Monday stated that officials from the SIT and the accompanying IT team had visited her residence and were permitted to take possession of the laptop on the same day.
Countering Chandigarh Police’s claim that the family has refused to hand over the laptop of late Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, his wife, IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, claimed that the non-seizure of the device occurred due to the technical inability of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to generate the required digital hash value, and not due to non-cooperation on her part.
A hash value is proof that the digital evidence (like the laptop) stayed exactly the same from the time it was seized to the time it was examined
In a detailed reply submitted to the SIT under Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, Amneet on Monday stated that officials from the SIT and the accompanying IT team had visited her residence and were permitted to take possession of the laptop on the same day. However, she said, the seizure could not be completed as the team failed to create the hash value or unique digital identification, a key step required to preserve the integrity of electronic evidence.
“Despite my full cooperation and the SIT’s presence at my residence for over four hours, they were unable to generate the necessary hash value or digital identification details of the device. The delay or non-seizure was solely due to their own technical inability, not any hesitation from my side,” Amneet stated in her written communication.
She further emphasised that the laptop could have been handed over immediately after completion of proper procedural formalities, including documentation and acknowledgment of receipt.
Amneet urged that before any forensic cloning or data extraction is carried out, the family be provided with a certified copy or secure backup of the laptop’s data, as it contains personal, family-related, and confidential communications. “In the event of any data loss or corruption during forensic handling, such information would be permanently irrecoverable,” she cautioned, insisting that the request for a duplicate backup was meant to ensure transparency and protect personal information.
“It is my earnest expectation that all relevant electronic and material evidence is secured and examined at the earliest, in accordance with due procedure. Timely and transparent handling of such evidence will help maintain the integrity of the investigation and strengthen public confidence,” she added.
The communication has been addressed to the senior superintendent of police, Chandigarh, who is also a member of the SIT, with references to two earlier notices, both pertaining to the laptop seizure.
Police sources had earlier claimed that the family’s refusal to hand over the laptop had stalled the digital forensic analysis, which investigators deem crucial to verify the authenticity of the officer’s alleged “final note.”
The Chandigarh Police on Monday wrote to the family of late Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, reiterating its request to hand over the officer’s laptop to the SIT for forensic examination.
In the official communication, addressed to the officer’s wife, the police stated that the laptop is required to be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Sector 36, Chandigarh, for digital authentication and analysis.
“The laptop is a crucial piece of evidence to prove the case. You were requested to provide the said laptop but till date you have not supplied the same. Therefore, you are again asked through this notice to hand over the above said laptop to the SIT, Chandigarh Police, at the earliest so that it can be sent to CFSL, Chandigarh,” the letter reads.
