{"id":355164,"date":"2025-07-31T16:00:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T10:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=355164"},"modified":"2025-08-01T17:03:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T11:33:47","slug":"madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Apprehension of possible tampering not a valid reason to refuse forensic examination\u2019; Madras HC allows forensic analysis of pen drive &amp; video recording in corruption case"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;\">\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Madras High Court:<\/span> In a criminal revision petition filed under Section <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-9001804175\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">442<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-9001804327\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023<\/a>, seeking to quash the order of the Special Court \/ Chief Judicial Magistrate, which had dismissed the accused\u2019s application for forensic examination of certain audio and video recordings and for securing the voice sample of the complainant, a Single Judge Bench of B. Pugalendhi, J. emphasised that the accused was entitled to a fair opportunity to rebut the allegations made against him. The Court observed that denying access to forensic comparison, despite the presence of specific electronic material forming part of the defence evidence, amounted to a serious curtailment of the accused\u2019s right to a fair trial.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">For the foregoing reasons, the Court held that the order passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Special Judge suffered from a non-application of mind with respect to the legal principles governing expert evidence and the right to a fair trial and thus warranted interference.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Accordingly, the Criminal Revision Petition was allowed, and the impugned order was set aside.<\/p>\n<p>The Court directed the Trial Court to:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li>Permit the forensic examination of the pen drive and the video recording by a competent Government Forensic Laboratory, while prescribing a reasonable outer time limit;<\/li>\n<li>Take necessary steps to secure the voice sample of the complainant under due process, solely for the purpose of expert comparison;<\/li>\n<li>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Proceed with the trial expeditiously, considering that the case pertains to the year 2020, and dispose of it in accordance with law.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Background<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The accused, who had served as the Electrical Inspector, Tirunelveli District, was facing trial under Section <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001564458\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7(a)<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002825997\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988<\/a>. It was alleged that he had demanded and accepted an illegal gratification of Rs. 8,000 from the complainant, an Electrical Contractor, in exchange for issuing a safety certificate for a 20 KVA generator. He was arrested on 23-11-2018, following a trap laid by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Wing. The trial was at the stage of examination of defence witnesses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The accused submitted that a pen drive marked during defence evidence, contained three audio recordings of conversations between him and the complainant, including one recorded on the date of the trap. It was argued that the tone and context of the recordings contradicted the prosecution&#8217;s version and supported the defence case. He contended that the authenticity and integrity of these recordings required forensic verification under Section <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001516789\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">45A<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002726934\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Evidence Act, 1872<\/a> for which obtaining the voice sample of the complainant was necessary.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">It was submitted that the Trial Court had erred in summarily dismissing the application. The accused contended that the mere possibility of tampering could not substitute the necessity for expert analysis, which is specifically intended to determine such issues. Denial of this opportunity, it was argued, violated his right to present an effective defence and was contrary to the principles of a fair trial. Accordingly, the accused prayed for appropriate relief.<\/p>\n<h3>Analysis and Decision<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court observed that the impugned order of the Trial Court disclosed that the accused\u2019s application had been dismissed on three principal grounds:<br \/>\n(a) the video recording was made four years after the registration of the FIR;<br \/>\n(b) the individuals appearing in the recording had not been examined; and<br \/>\n(c) the possibility of tampering rendered the recordings suspect.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">However, the Court held that it was unable to accept the reasoning of the Trial Court in its entirety. It noted that the delay in recording the video did not, by itself, render it inadmissible or irrelevant. The Court reasoned that if the conversation captured in the video were to be proven authentic, it could substantiate the allegation of suppression of CCTV footage, which was a material issue with potential bearing on the credibility and integrity of the trap proceedings.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court further said that, as regards the voice recordings, their proximity to the alleged incident, including a conversation recorded on the very day of the trap made them intrinsically relevant. It stated that whether these recordings supported or rebutted the prosecution\u2019s allegations was a matter to be determined during trial. However, they could not be excluded from scientific scrutiny merely on speculative grounds.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court also opined that the apprehension of possible tampering or alteration of the recordings did not constitute valid justification for refusing forensic examination. On the contrary, such concerns strengthened the case for expert analysis. It emphasised that any determination regarding whether the files were edited or manipulated could only be made by a competent forensic authority, and not through assumptions or oral statements made by lay witnesses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">With regard to the power to direct a person to provide voice samples, the Court referred to the legal position laid down in <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Ritesh Sinha<\/span> v. <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">State of U.P<\/span>., <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/1Em8a022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(2019) 8 SCC 1<\/a>, wherein it was held that, until explicit provisions were incorporated into the Criminal Procedure Code by Parliament, a Judicial Magistrate must be deemed to have the authority to order a person to give a voice sample for the purpose of investigation. It was observed that such power could be conferred upon a Magistrate through judicial interpretation and exercised under the jurisdiction vested in the Court by Article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001574873\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">142<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002726967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Constitution of India<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court noted that the recently enacted Section <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-9001804071\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">349<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-9001804327\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023<\/a>, reflects a statutory recognition of this principle, thereby reinforcing the legal basis for directing the collection of voice samples in aid of criminal investigations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">On the issue of whether a judicial order compelling the provision of voice samples would violate the fundamental right to privacy under Article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001574938\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">20(3)<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002726967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Constitution<\/a>, the Court held that such a contention was untenable. It observed that the right to privacy, like all fundamental rights, is not absolute and may be reasonably restricted when a larger public interest is involved.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court, therefore, held that the refusal to summon the voice sample of the complainant particularly when it constituted the only means to facilitate a scientific comparison, could not be justified merely on the grounds of privacy,especially where the sample was sought under judicial supervision and strictly for the limited purpose of expert analysis in the context of a pending criminal trial.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court emphasised that the accused was entitled to a fair opportunity to rebut the allegations made against him. It observed that denying access to forensic comparison, despite the presence of specific electronic material forming part of the defence evidence, amounted to a serious curtailment of the accused\u2019s right to a fair trial.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">For the foregoing reasons, the Court held that the order passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Special Judge suffered from a non-application of mind with respect to the legal principles governing expert evidence and the right to a fair trial and thus warranted interference.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Accordingly, the Criminal Revision Petition was allowed, and the impugned order was set aside.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">[<span style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #632423;\">C.J.Christopher Signi v. State of Tamil Nadu, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/K637404c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2025 SCC OnLine Mad 3214<\/a>, decided on 09-07-2025<\/span>]<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Advocates who appeared in this case:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">For Petitioner :<\/span> Mr.V.R.Shanmuganathan<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">For Respondents:<\/span> Mr.A.S.Abul Kalam Azad , Government Advocate (Crl. Side)<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: #000080;\">Buy Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 \u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebcwebstore.com\/product_info.php?products_id=1170\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebcwebstore.com\/product_info.php?products_id=1170\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-295972\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/prevention-of-corruption-act-1988-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"prevention of corruption act, 1988\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/prevention-of-corruption-act-1988-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/prevention-of-corruption-act-1988-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/prevention-of-corruption-act-1988-440x293.jpg 440w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/prevention-of-corruption-act-1988-650x433.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/prevention-of-corruption-act-1988-60x40.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/prevention-of-corruption-act-1988.jpg 886w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: #000080;\">Buy Constitution of India \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebcwebstore.com\/product\/the-constitution-of-india-coat-pocket-edition?products_id=100647\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebcwebstore.com\/product\/the-constitution-of-india-coat-pocket-edition?products_id=100647\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-294438\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/ebcwebstore\/images\/the-constitution-of-india-coat-pocket-edition-Gopal-Sankaranarayanan-ebc-front-cover.JPG\" alt=\"Constitution of India\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">&#8220;The accused is entitled to a fair opportunity to disprove the allegations against him. Denial of access to forensic comparison in the face of specific electronic material forming part of defence evidence amounts to curtailment of such a right.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67512,"featured_media":355172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[59736,30698,2567,86375,38070,9871,32502,3629,30350],"class_list":["post-355164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-casebriefs","category-highcourts","tag-corruption-case","tag-forensic-examination","tag-Madras_High_Court","tag-pen-drive","tag-right-to-fair-trial","tag-right-to-privacy","tag-tampering","tag-video_recording","tag-voice-sample"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.4 (Yoast SEO v26.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Madras HC Allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case | SCC Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"&#039;Suspicion of tampering or alteration is no valid reason to deny forensic examination&#039;; Madras HC allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Apprehension of possible tampering not a valid reason to refuse forensic examination\u2019; Madras HC allows forensic analysis of pen drive &amp; video recording in corruption case\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&#039;Suspicion of tampering or alteration is no valid reason to deny forensic examination&#039;; Madras HC allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SCC Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-31T10:30:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-01T11:33:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Madras-HC-allows-forensic-examination.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"886\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"590\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Apoorva\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"\u2018Apprehension of possible tampering not a valid reason to refuse forensic examination\u2019; Madras HC allows forensic analysis of pen drive &amp; video recording in corruption case\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Apoorva\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/\",\"name\":\"Madras HC Allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case | SCC Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Madras-HC-allows-forensic-examination.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-31T10:30:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-01T11:33:47+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9\"},\"description\":\"'Suspicion of tampering or alteration is no valid reason to deny forensic examination'; Madras HC allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Madras-HC-allows-forensic-examination.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Madras-HC-allows-forensic-examination.webp\",\"width\":886,\"height\":590,\"caption\":\"Madras HC allows forensic examination\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018Apprehension of possible tampering not a valid reason to refuse forensic examination\u2019; Madras HC allows forensic analysis of pen drive &amp; video recording in corruption case\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SCC Times\",\"description\":\"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9\",\"name\":\"Apoorva\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Apoorva\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/scc-editor\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Madras HC Allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case | SCC Times","description":"'Suspicion of tampering or alteration is no valid reason to deny forensic examination'; Madras HC allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018Apprehension of possible tampering not a valid reason to refuse forensic examination\u2019; Madras HC allows forensic analysis of pen drive & video recording in corruption case","og_description":"'Suspicion of tampering or alteration is no valid reason to deny forensic examination'; Madras HC allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case","og_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/","og_site_name":"SCC Times","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/","article_published_time":"2025-07-31T10:30:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-01T11:33:47+00:00","og_image":[{"width":886,"height":590,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Madras-HC-allows-forensic-examination.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Apoorva","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"\u2018Apprehension of possible tampering not a valid reason to refuse forensic examination\u2019; Madras HC allows forensic analysis of pen drive &amp; video recording in corruption case","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Apoorva","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/","name":"Madras HC Allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case | SCC Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Madras-HC-allows-forensic-examination.webp","datePublished":"2025-07-31T10:30:25+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-01T11:33:47+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9"},"description":"'Suspicion of tampering or alteration is no valid reason to deny forensic examination'; Madras HC allows Forensic Examination Despite Tampering Concerns in Corruption Case","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Madras-HC-allows-forensic-examination.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Madras-HC-allows-forensic-examination.webp","width":886,"height":590,"caption":"Madras HC allows forensic examination"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/31\/madras-hc-allows-forensic-examination-despite-tampering-concerns-corruption-case\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018Apprehension of possible tampering not a valid reason to refuse forensic examination\u2019; Madras HC allows forensic analysis of pen drive &amp; video recording in corruption case"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/","name":"SCC Times","description":"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9","name":"Apoorva","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Apoorva"},"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/scc-editor\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Madras-HC-allows-forensic-examination.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":334125,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/10\/29\/madras-hc-priority-forensic-examination-accused-phone\/","url_meta":{"origin":355164,"position":0},"title":"Seizing phone and SIM card essential for forensic examination; Madras HC orders priority review of accused&#8217;s phone and future consideration for return","author":"Apoorva","date":"October 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cThe data available in the mobile phone has to be converted and thereafter forensic examination of digital evidence has to be made. Hence, the seizure of the phone along with sim card was important as encrypted files are available in the phone. For this reason, the phone was seized, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"madras high court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/madras-high-court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/madras-high-court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/madras-high-court.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/madras-high-court.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":326136,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/07\/09\/calcutta-high-court-directs-enhancement-forensic-capabilities-bnss-enforcement-nibmg-national-institute-of-biomedical-generics-government-foresic-laboratory-legal-news\/","url_meta":{"origin":355164,"position":1},"title":"Calcutta High Court directs Enhancement of Forensic Capabilities due to BNSS Enforcement, recognizing NIBMG as Government Forensic Laboratory","author":"Arunima","date":"July 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"By directing the recognition of NIBMG as a CFSL and its scientists as government experts, the Court aims to alleviate the pressure on existing forensic laboratories and ensure timely and accurate forensic analysis, thereby strengthening the overall criminal justice system.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calcutta High Court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Calcutta-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Calcutta-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Calcutta-High-Court.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Calcutta-High-Court.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":380815,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/04\/13\/nainital-high-court-examines-chain-of-custody-of-forensic-evidence\/","url_meta":{"origin":355164,"position":2},"title":"Conviction rests on evidence not suspicion: Uttaranchal High Court acquits accused on Sexual Assault charges due to anomalies in Chain of Custody of Forensic Evidence","author":"Editor","date":"April 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cIn the present case, the absence of documentary proof establishing the seizure and custody of the alleged forensic article creates a reasonable doubt as to the authorship of the sexual act.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"chain of custody of forensic evidence","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/chain-of-custody-of-forensic-evidence.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/chain-of-custody-of-forensic-evidence.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/chain-of-custody-of-forensic-evidence.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/chain-of-custody-of-forensic-evidence.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":318115,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/03\/22\/madras-hc-refuses-interfere-punishment-given-district-judge-held-engaging-conference-call-accused-sankararaman-murder-case\/","url_meta":{"origin":355164,"position":3},"title":"\u2018Judicial Officers are expected to maintain high level of integrity\u2019: Madras HC refused to interfere with punishment given to Judge held for engaging in conference call with accused in Sankararaman murder case","author":"Editor","date":"March 22, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cHigh standard of proof is essential to convict an accused in a criminal trial. However, no such strict proof is required for punishing a public servant under the Discipline and Appeal Rules\u201d.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Madras High Court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Madras-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Madras-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Madras-High-Court.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Madras-High-Court.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":205234,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2018\/11\/16\/calling-forensic-expert-as-court-witness-under-section-311-crpc-held-incumbent-on-trial-court-where-veracity-of-cfsl-report-challenged-bom-hc\/","url_meta":{"origin":355164,"position":4},"title":"Calling Forensic Expert as court witness under Section 311 CrPC&#8211; Held incumbent on trial court where veracity of CFSL report challenged: Bom HC","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"November 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Bombay High Court: A Single Judge Bench comprising of Mridula Bhatkar, J. allowed a writ petition directed against the order of Special Judge (CBI) whereby he allowed prosecution's application filed under Section 293 CrPC. The prosecution had filed an application under the said Section for exhibiting the CFSL report without\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Bombay-HC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Bombay-HC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Bombay-HC.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Bombay-HC.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Bombay-HC.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":206725,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2018\/12\/12\/completion-of-investigation-without-considering-outcome-of-forensic-science-laboratory-cannot-be-considered-a-fair-investigation\/","url_meta":{"origin":355164,"position":5},"title":"Completion of investigation without considering outcome of Forensic Science Laboratory cannot be considered a fair investigation","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"December 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Punjab and Haryana High Court: This petition was filed before a Single Judge Bench of Daya Chaudhary, J., under Section 482 CrPC for transfer of investigation of an FIR registered under Section 306 IPC. Facts of the case were such that petitioner was the mother of deceased who filed an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67512"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355164"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355164\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}