Court allows police to conduct narco test on Ghandy

A Delhi court on Saturday allowed a plea of the police to conduct a narco-analysis test on top Maoist leader Kobad Ghandy as the investigators alleged he did not cooperate with them despite having "thorough knowledge" about banned CPI-Maoist engaged in terror activities.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja ordered thenarco-test on Ghandy, a Politbureau member of the outfit,after the Delhi Police contended that it had not been able toelicit all information from him even after the use of allscientific methods of interrogation.

The court allowed the contention of Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar who relied upon a Delhi High Court judgement stating that use of narco-analysis test is of particular relevance in terror-related cases, conspiracy to commit murder and other serious offences where the investigating agency do not have vital leads.

"Admittedly, the judgement of the High Court (in Shailender Sharma's case) still holds the ground and has neither been challenged nor stayed till date," the court said.

It also relied on the opinion of a medical board of the AIIMS which said that there was no medical evidence to suggestthat Ghandy cannot withstand the narco analysis test.

Ghandy's counsel Rebecca M John, who argued that the plea of the police cannot be allowed since the Supreme Court had in November 2006 was referred the validity of narco test without consent of the accused to a larger bench and was yet to deliver the judgement did not impress the court.