A Crime Branch investigating the 2017 actor assault case has a pile up of nearly two lakh files.
It is understood that the team has 2 terabyte of digital evidence (1 TB = 1,000 GB, can store over 200 high-quality movies).
According to the Crime Branch authorities, the evidence include video clips, audio messages, WhatsApp texts, photographs, and e-mails. The data collected from the mobile phones of actor Dileep, an accused in the case, is also part of the evidence.
Cyber experts in the Crime Branch with the help of at least 100 police officers are examining these digital evidence that the investigating officers consider will reinforce the prosecution's case against actor Dileep and other accused.
The recent exit of S Sreejith from the head of the Crime Branch had raised speculations over the probe.
However, it is understood that as the rest of the team probing the high-profile case remains intact, the course of the case will rely on the action taken by its new chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb.
The digital evidence collected from Dileep's phones that is reportedly in possession of the Crime Branch had been allegedly erased at a private lab in Mumbai. However, the lab that initially refused to hand over the evidence later gave in and submitted copies that were stored in a computer at its office in Pune, it is alleged.
At least 11,161 videos and 11,238 audio messages were retrieved from the phones. Over ten thousand more digital evidence remains to be examined, it is understood.
Crime Branch chief maintains silence
There is an alleged gag on the authorities to not shed any information on the most high-profile case currently being probed by the Crime Branch.
The investigating agency is also probing a conspiracy on attempts to harm the officers probing the case.
The new Crime Branch chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb has yet to address the media on the developments in the case.
