Karnataka - Bangalore   

‘Narco analysis is interrogation under the influence of drugs’

Bangalore: “Narco analysis done for the purpose of investigation is nothing but interrogation under the influence of drugs. Society should not tolerate the use of the test that is meant for therapeutic use,” said former director of Tamil Nadu Forensic Sciences P. Chandra Sekharan.

Unlike the analysis done to interpret answers given during therapeutic use, Prof. Chandra Sekharan said there was no analysis involved when used for investigating crime. “Most of the answers that the psychologist gets for the suggestive questions from a person subjected to the test are ‘aaa or ummm’. The psychologist can interpret the answer in whatever manner he wants to,” Prof. Chandra Sekharan said while showing some of the reports of recent narco analysis tests.

Prof. Chandra Sekharan was speaking on the topic “Forensic Science” at a meeting on “Criminal Justice System” organised by Human Rights Law Network here on Saturday.

Prof. Chandra Sekharan claimed that the Forensic Science Laboratory in Bangalore had no legal sanction to conduct brain mapping and narco analysis tests as the Government had not issued an order in that connection. Speaking on “State legal services authority and legal aid,” advocate S.V. Girikumar said efforts were needed to reach legal aid to people in villages. He stressed on the need to increasing the frequency of training programmes for advocates and judges.

The legal services authority should set targets for each of the advocates in its panel and regularly review their work.

Advocate S. Ambika said it was necessary to help undertrials know about law. Undertrials should be helped to know about the consequences of their offences. She said some of the undertrials preferred to live in prison as they faced threat to their lives outside.

Speaking on “Criminal law with women’s perspective”, Geeta Krishnamurthy said there was a need to think of justice which is different from that prescribed by “our archaic criminal laws”. She said justice now being rendered was not under equity and conscience.

Among the other presentations were advocate B.T. Venkatesh’s “High Court decisions adversely affecting the poor,” Nagari Babaiah’s “Prison reform”, advocate C.V. Sudhindra’s “Police reform” and advocate Diwakaran’s “Cr.PC amendments”.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Seven held for mobile tower scam
Marathas want Category 2A tag
‘Government doing well’
‘Parliament is supreme’
Assumes charge
Centre’s assistance sought for upgrading infrastructure
Want to study in New Zealand
Hitch over money dogs BBMP’s IDRV plan
Helpline to prevent suicide in the offing
Youth Congress to stage demonstration
Appointed office-bearers of JD (S) faction
Short story contest
‘Narco analysis is interrogation under the influence of drugs’
BJP meetings
Protest against easy availability of acid
Quality in higher education is essential: Shankarmurthy
Cultural competition
‘The Second Sex’ in Kannada
Youths assault waiter Crime notes
‘Gowda using internal reservation bogey’
Medha Patkar wants ‘empowerment zones’
Education provides hope: Tharoor

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu