Chandigarh, July 18 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has disposed of a plea seeking forensic analysis of audio clips allegedly involving a senior IPS officer in a purported cash-for-sex scandal, directing the petitioner to approach the lower court. The order was passed by the division bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Nikhil Saraf in May. The PIL sought an independent forensic examination of two viral audio recordings and identification of the officer allegedly named by a woman constable during her arrest in a drug-related case. The audio clips, which surfaced in April, reportedly feature a person believed to be a serving IPS officer engaging in a financial discussion for sexual favours with an unidentified woman. During Thursday's hearing, state counsel Salil Sabhlok argued that the officer was being unfairly targeted and described the clips as "inaudible, doctored, and unverified." He maintained that the petition lacked genuine public interest and had bypassed alternative remedies. The complaint against the officer was still pending before the state's director general of police (DGP), Sabhlok told the court. Petitioner's counsel Amit Sharma countered that statutory bodies had failed to act and claimed the matter reflected a broader pattern of "institutional inaction and selective protection." Sharma further submitted that the petitioner had approached multiple statutory forums all of which failed to act. If the state believes the audio recordings are false or inaudible, the remedy lies in forensic analysis, not institutional denial, he had argued. After hearing both sides, the court directed the petitioner to approach the trial court and observed that if the magistrate fails to act, the petitioner is free to return to the high court....