Sunanda Pushkar murder case: Court allows police's polygraph test plea

NEW DELHI: Three suspects in the Sunanda Pushkar murder case, two of them employed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and the third a friend, will undergo lie detector test with a Delhi court today allowing investigators to conduct it after they consented.

The three suspects--Tharoor's domestic help Narain Singh, driver Bajrangi and friend Sanjay Dewan -- said they were willing to undergo the polygraph test.

The court put a condition that the guidelines laid down by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Supreme Court should be followed in conducting the procedure.

"Application for polygraph test on the three suspects is allowed, subject to NHRC and the Supreme Court guidelines," Metropolitan Magistrate Sunil Kumar Sharma said.

The guidelines stipulates among others things that the lawyer of those facing the test should be present and no self incriminatory questions, not related to the case, should be asked.

Three other persons -- S K Sharma, Vikas Ahlawat and Sunil Takru -- had earlier undergone the lie detector test in connection with the case.

Tharoor has been questioned thrice in this case so far. Pushkar was found dead in the hotel suite on January 17 last year, days after a public spat on Twitter where she accused her husband of having an affair with Pakistani journalist Mehar Tarar.

During the hearing, the police told the court that Dewan, Singh and Bajrangi were questioned during the investigation but they were apparently hiding some crucial facts.

"They are not disclosing all the facts. They are hiding some crucial facts regarding the injuries on Sunanda Pushkar's body," the police claimed.

As soon as the hearing commenced, the magistrate asked, "where are the three suspects?".

The three persons marked their presence before the court after which the magistrate asked the investigating officer, "show me the relevant case diary. What are the facts they are not disclosing."

Responding to the court's query, the police said Singh and Bajrangi were not disclosing the facts regarding injuries on Pushkar's body while Dewan had cancelled his flight after the incident came into light and called a doctor from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital instead of the doctor who was present at the hotel.