Police seek polygraph test on suspect to firm up leads
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Monday moved a city court seeking permission to conduct a polygraph test on Aaftab Poonawala, who allegedly killed his girlfriend Shraddha Walkar and chopped her body into 35 pieces at their rented accommodation in south Delhi’s Chhattarpur Pahadi area in May.
Metropolitan magistrate Vijayshree Rathore is likely to hear the application on Tuesday.
According to court officials, police said that Poonawala was misleading the investigators and giving them incorrect answers, prompting the need for a polygraph test.
A polygraph test measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked and answers a series of questions. To be sure, polygraph tests can only be conducted after the accused concerned has provided their consent, and are inadmissable in court.
Transfer of case to CBI
Meanwhile, an advocate on Monday moved the Delhi high court seeking the transfer of the murder investigation from the Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The petitioner, Joshini Tuli, contended that the probe cannot be efficiently carried out due to paucity of staff as well as lack of sufficient technical and scientific equipment to find evidence and look for witnesses, especially because the incident took place about six months ago.
In the plea, the advocate said that the presence of media and other persons at the place of recovery and courtroom amounted to interference with the evidence and witnesses, alleging that the crime scene has not been sealed by police till date, and is being accessed by the public and mediapersons.
The petition said that leaking of evidence and material witnesses to the media and public have led to a media trial.