Court denies Police request for tests on Murder suspects
Delhi's Karkardooma Court has denied police requests to conduct polygraph and psychological tests on six murder suspects, including the deceased girl's parents. The court ruled against the tests due to lack of consent from the accused, who were granted bail after DNA tests failed to match. The plea was dismissed as the investigation was deemed complete.
New Delhi [India], June 2 (ANI): Delhi's Karkardooma Court has recently rejected Delhi police's plea for permission to conduct a polygraph test, layered voice stress analysis test and psychological test of the six murder case accused, including the parents of the deceased girl. The court dismissed the plea because the accused persons declined to give their consent. The body of a girl was found in a canal in Aligarh in 2020.
A DNA test was conducted twice, but did not match with that of the accused parents (Ravinder Chaudhary and Suman). On this basis, the accused were granted bail in 2023. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Alok Shukla rejected the application for permission to conduct a test on the accused, namely Ravinder Choudhary, Suman, Sanjay Choudhary, Om Prakash alias Omi, Pravesh and Ankit, after recording their denial and submissions of counsel on their behalf.
While rejecting the plea, the court said, " In the present case, the accused persons have file a reply and have objected to the application filed by the IO for conducting polygraph test, layered voice stress analysis test and psychological assessment test." Since the accused persons have not consented to conducting the said tests, the court cannot force the accused persons to undergo the tests sought to be performed by the investigation officer (IO).
Accordingly, the application is dismissed," ASJ Alok Shukla ordered on May 29. The Delhi police submitted it during further investigation. Polygraph, Layered voice stress Analysis and Psychological Assessment test of all six accused persons is required. Therefore, it is requested that the same tests may be allowed to be conducted in FSL/ Rohini Delhi for the purpose of investigation, police said.
A reply was filed on behalf of the accused persons opposing the application. It was submitted that the plea is liable to be dismissed on the sole ground that it was filed by the investigating officer at a belated stage when the investigation was completed. The present matter is listed at the stage of evidence.
Advocate Deepak Sharma, counsel for accused persons, submitted that the first missing report was lodged by the so-called husband of Sheetal (deceased) on February 6 2020, but till February 16, 2020, neither any FIR was lodged nor any investigation was started. It was further submitted that Ankit gave one more complaint or statement before the IO, contrary to the complaint filed on 06.02.2020. It is crystal clear that, from the beginning, the investigating officer has never carried out a fair investigation.
The accused persons were arrested on 20.02.2020, and thereafter, they remained in Judicial custody for a sufficient time, but the investigating agency did not bother to conduct the said tests at the initial stage of the investigation, nor did the investigating agency make any efforts to ascertain the veracity of the allegation, the counsel argued. An FIR was registered at the police station in New Ashok Nagar on February 16, 2020, on the Complaint of Ankit Bhati for the kidnapping of his wife.
During the investigation, it was revealed that a girl, Sheetal Chaudhry, was murdered and dumped in the Gang Nahar in Aligarh. Subsequently, sections related to murder and other offences were added in the FIR. The body was identified by the complainant, Ankit, as his wife.
A charge sheet was filed before the magistrate court on 15.05.2020, and thereafter, a supplementary charge sheet was filed on 02.08.2022 and October 30, 2022, before the Sessions Court. (ANI)