RAWALPINDI: The deputy prosecutor general Anti-Terrorism Court-11 has intimated the city police officer to direct investigating officers (IOs) to ensure collection of authentic mobile phone call data in heinous cases such as kidnapping for ransom and terrorism.

Due to improper call data attached with challans, the accused persons in heinous cases are acquitted and the actual perpetrators go untraced.

Tahir Kazim, the deputy prosecutor general, informed the police that most of the criminal cases relating to ransom and terrorism were based on call data record (CDR). In such cases, the connection of accused has to be established through the CDR, which is an important piece of evidence.

In most of the terrorism cases, proper call data record is not attached with the challan.

He said unavailability of proper call data record leads to acquittal of the accused persons in terrorism cases.

For the admissibility of call data record in evidence, it has to be obtained from the mobile service providers, he added.

The representatives of such a company must be made witness for the authenticity of the call data record so that their testimony before the court may be seen trustworthy and confidence inspiring.

The CPO was asked to direct the IOs to procure proper call data record for achieving ends to justice.

A senior police official told Dawn that there had been some complaints that investigating officers were not handling the matter properly.

He said following the directive, the investigating officers and all SPs had been directed to get authenticated cell phone data from mobile service providing companies before submitting challans of cases to the court.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2019