Is Lie detector test admissible in court? by Kavya Eligeti , Intern at ubAdvocate

Kavya Eligeti
Intern At ubAdvocate-   / ubadvocate  
kavya.eligeti@gmail.com
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Is Lie detector test admissible in court?

Lie detector tests (also known as “Polygraph tests”), narcoanalysis & brain- mapping are some of the present-day revolutionary tools of forensic science that are usually proved very fruitful during police investigations. As the name suggests, the objective of conducting a lie detector test is to check whether a person is telling the truth or lying while answering the questions asked, and not to forget but the administration of this test is different from narcoanalysis & brain mapping. But are they legal in India? This is the main point of discussion. How is a polygraph & narco- analysis administered?
1. When a polygraph test is conducted on a person, four to six sensors are attached to him. In the polygraph machine, multiple (""poly"") signals from the sensors are recorded on a single strip of moving paper (""graph""). These sensors generally record:

Person's breathing rate

Person's pulse

Person's blood pressure

Person's perspiration (sweat)

Sometimes, arm or leg movements are also recorded.
So, during or after the polygraph test, a polygraph examiner checks whether the vital signs changed significantly on any question; this is done by looking at the graph. For example a faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, and increased sweating or perspiration indicate that the person is lying.
2. In Narcoanalysis test, which is different from the polygraph test, involves the injection or administration of a drug (such as sodium pentothal, scopolamine and sodium amytal), i.e., truth serum, which causes the subject to enter into various stages of anaesthesia.
Is consent required for these tests?
Consent of the accused is compulsory before conducting lie detector test. always remember that in India, confessions made to police officers are never admissible in a court of law, and just like confessions, a polygraph test usually doesn’t have legal validity in the courts as it must be consented by the accused himself & a semi-conscious person makes it. However, the courts can grant limited admissibility depending on the circumstances under which the test was obtained.
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