Shraddha Walkar murder: Police files plea for Poonawalla's polygraph test
Days after a metropolitan magistrate court in Delhi's Saket permitted the police to conduct a narcoanalysis test on Shraddha Walkar murder accused Aftab Poonawalla, the Delhi Police on Monday moved an application for his polygraph test. The police said they found discrepancies in Poonawalla's statements, necessitating the test. Metropolitan Magistrate Vijayshree Rathore of the Saket court is likely to hear the plea on Tuesday.
Why does this story matter?
Accused of killing his live-in partner Walkar on May 18, the Delhi Police arrested Poonawalla on November 12. He allegedly chopped her body into 35 pieces and subsequently disposed of them in Delhi's Mehrauli forest over several weeks. Poonawalla is in police custody, and the investigation into the case is mainly dependent on his statements, as there are no eyewitnesses to the crime.
Accused is misleading investigation agency: Police
The Delhi Police, in its application filed before the Saket court, stated the accused is misleading the investigation agency. They said that in the interest of a fair investigation Poonawalla's polygraph test should be conducted. Citing court sources, Hindustan Times reported that the police stated in the plea the test will let them know whether Poonawalla's answers to police queries are right or wrong.
What are polygraph and narcoanalysis tests?
As per American Psychological Association (APA), polygraph tests cannot check the honesty of a criminal but may be helpful in proving whether or not a person committed a crime. The test measures and records several "physiological indicators" while a person is being questioned. On the other hand, narcoanalysis is a chemical-based lie-detection test that could lead to material evidence and corroborate one's alleged confessions.
Evidence hinges on forensic reports, circumstantial evidence
The investigation and prosecution of the case, in absence of eyewitnesses, are highly dependent on the confessions of the accused, forensic reports, and circumstantial evidence. The six-month-old incident has no eyewitnesses, as Poonawalla was able to successfully conceal the murder until the victim's family raised the alarm. The murder came to light after the suspect, Poonawallam made a confession during interrogation, the police said.
