A local court on Thursday dismissed the petition filed by Satyam Computers former MD Rama Raju and its ex-CFO Vadlamani Srinivas, seeking permission to use laptops in jail.
Both the accused in the multi-crore financial fraud in Satyam Computers, had filed a petition on November 12 with the XIV Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court in Hyderabad, seeking its permission to use laptops to enable their defence in various cases.
Judge K Sudhakar dismissed their plea on the ground that if they were allowed to use laptops in jail, the accused may tamper with evidence.
The judge, however, said the duo can request the Chanchalguda jail authorities to provide them with typewriters along with stenographers for preparing the notes for their cases, after the CBI counsel said they had no objection if the accused were provided with typewriters.
Earlier, opposing the petition, CBI's deputy legal adviser B Ravindranath contended that the purpose of judicial custody of the accused would not be served if they were permitted to operate laptops in jail as the investigations were at a crucial stage as the agency had sought information from six countries with regard to alleged diversion of funds from Satyam.
"This is a scam generated through computers and if they are allowed to operate laptops they can get access through wireless internet and communicate with anybody to destroy the evidence of prosecution," the CBI counsel had argued.