Polygraph test and brain mapping also evidence, can’t ignore: Supreme Court 

Polygraph test and brain mapping also evidence, can’t ignore: Supreme Court 

The Supreme Court said, even if lie detector test or polygraph test and brain mapping are not sufficient to convict the accused in a case, the courts cannot ignore them. This is certainly important evidence. With this remark, the apex court set aside a judgment of the Bombay High Court acquitting the killers.

A bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Justice Rajesh Bindal said in the order given, at the stage of framing of charges, the court needs to look at the material available prima facie, because the veracity, sufficiency and admissibility of the evidence during the trial is to be examined must be known.

What was the matter?

The Bombay High Court had acquitted Hussain Mohammed Shataf and his wife Waheeda Hussain Shataf and others in the Manmohan Singh Sukhdev Singh Virdi murder case. Virdi was a resident of Lonavala. In the murder case, Hussain and four co-accused were subjected to psychological evaluation based on polygraph and brain mapping test.

Ignoring these, the High Court acquitted the accused on the basis of the rest of the evidence. The Supreme Court observed that though the report of such a psychological test is not sufficient to convict a person, yet it certainly forms an important part of the evidence.