Court dismisses plea to make graft accused undergo lie detector test

A local court on Tuesday dismissed a plea to conduct a lie detector test on suspended police officer Vishal Kumar, who is accused in a ₹57-lakh graft case and for illegally detaining a call centre owner

A local court on Tuesday dismissed a plea to conduct a lie detector test on suspended police officer Vishal Kumar, who is accused in a ₹57-lakh graft case and for illegally detaining a call centre owner.

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A polygraph test — popularly referred to as a lie-detector test — measures and records several physiological indices such as pulse, respiration, blood pressure and skin conductivity while the subject is asked to answer a series of questions.

The State Vigilance Bureau had sought the court’s permission on January 25 to conduct a lie detector test on Kumar and narco analysis of suspended head constable Amit Kumar. The officials had also asked for the permission to take the voice samples of Kumar and one of their aides, a farm house owner that has been granted on Tuesday.

SS Chauhan, counsel for Vishal Kumar, said the application for permission for polygraph test was dismissed by the court as Kumar did not give his consent and it is mandatory to take the consent from a victim or an accused in the court. “Vishal denied undergoing the lie-detector test. He has been booked solely on the basis of the statement by the call centre owner and there is no circumstantial evidence against him. Kumar has consistently denied any role in the kidnapping and bribery case. Hence, the probe agency wants to use the lie detector test to verify his claims. This, the agency hopes, will give direction to the ongoing probe,” he said. The case will come up in court on February 16.