Court denies NIA nod for polygraph test of accused

NIA CLAIMED THAT THE ACCUSED HAD VOLUNTEERED TO UNDERGO TESTS, BUT THEY LATER WITHDREW THE CONSENT IN COURT

- Ashiq Hussain

A special NIA court in Jammu in late August rejected the plea of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a polygraph test of the two accused arrested in the Pahalgam terror attack, details emerging now show.

NIA arrested the two men, Pravaiz Ahmad Jothatd and Bashir Ahmad, from south Kashmir on June 22 for allegedly harbouring the Pakistani terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed, and providing them with food and logistical support.

While NIA claimed that the accused had volunteered to undergo a lie-detector test and narco analysis to prove their innocence, the accused told the court that they were not willing for such a test.

“...Keeping in view the fact that both the accused persons have submitted in court today that they are not willing to undergo polygraph/narco analysis test, the application is accordingly dismissed,” the NIA court said in its judgment.