WHILE THE standing counsel (criminal) for the Delhi government told the Delhi High Court on Monday afternoon that the status report pertaining to Sunanda Pushkar’s death was yet to be filed by Delhi Police, a copy of the report was reportedly submitted in court later in the day. When a bench of Justice G S Sistani and Justice Chander Shekhar had asked standing counsel Rahul Mehra about the report in the afternoon, he had said, “I have written to the DCP. He has not got back. When they (police) get back, the process will be followed. If required, we will submit it in a sealed cover.” While police sources maintained that the report was submitted on Monday, Rahul Mehra told The Indian Express, “The report cannot be filed without the same being showed and processed by me or my office.” He also said that any report that has been submitted otherwise is unauthorised and cannot be used. The report, which has been submitted in court, meanwhile, is signed by DCP (South) Ishwar Singh and dated July 22. According to the status report, the investigation is at an “advanced stage”, and the second meeting of the medical board constituted by the Directorate General of Health Services, Central Forensic Science Laboratory and Forensic Science Laboratory was “expected to be convened soon”. The report also states that as data from some mobile phones seized during the investigation was deleted, and Indian forensic laboratory was unable to retrieve it, approval is being sought from government authorities to send the devices to the manufacturers abroad. It also states that another request — to provide complete data of mobile phones, social networking sites and emails — has been sent to US authorities through the central ministry under Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).
