CBI finds Raju's laptops difficult to crack

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), investigating the financial scam at Satyam Computer Services, is finding it difficult to crack the content of the two laptops that belong to the company’s founder, B Ramalinga Raju. It is now sourcing special accessories to unearth the data stored in them.

The CBI had seized many computers, laptops and hard disks from the houses of Raju, former chief financial officer Srinivas Vadlamani and other accused. A CBI official who is part of the multi-disciplinary probe team, said some computers and laptops had been referred to the Government Examiner of Questioned Documents (GEQD).

“We could not access the data in the two Apple Macintosh laptops. They require special accessories and we are getting them,” he said. Also, the CBI is now preparing a supplementary chargesheet to highlight new findings or observations.

Meanwhile, the CBI is awaiting the reports of the specimen signature analysis from the GEQD. The CBI has collected about 50 signature samples of Ramalinga Raju, his brother and former managing director, B Rama Raju, former chief financial officer Vadlamani, and two Price Waterhouse auditors, S Gopalakrishna and Srinivas Talluri.

The GEQD reports would strengthen the CBI’s argument that Raju and his aides had signed certain documents, which would be key in proving criminal conspiracy charges against them. Meanwhile, the fourth metropolitan sessions judge posted the orders on the bail petitions of the Raju brothers and Vadlamani for tomorrow. The defence counsel argued that there was no question of diversion of money as none existed in the first place.

Objecting to this, the public prosecutor questioned the need for the accused to hide the company’s affairs, including infusing funds, taking loans for the company and forging fixed deposit receipts from other directors.

There was evidence that other employees helped in the scam on instructions from top officials, he said. They inflated the accounts to protect their positions and to get better dividends for their shares, he said, adding that the family members offloaded their shares when the price peaked above Rs 600.