HC: FSL CDs doctored
KOCHI: Who is guilty of tampering with the compact discs related to the narco analysis test conducted on the three accused in the Sr Abhaya murder case - the CBI or the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Bangalore, who conducted the test? Justice Ramkumar in his judgment dated September 4, 2008 had given a clean chit to the FSL and the experts there. ``The irresistible inference can only be that the CD which was submitted before this court by the CBI has been consciously tampered with and that the CD does not contain the most vital information recorded in the narco report’’.
The court also deferred action, if any, against R K Agarwal, the then investigating officer, ``till the outcome of the further investigation in this case’’.The CBI had alleged that Dr Malini, FSL’s assistant director, had manipulated the CD (which was produced by the CBI before the court). According to Justice Ramkumar, ``it is cruel and uncharitable to make such allegations’’.
However, Justice K Hema who granted bail to the accused held that the CDs ``are not only edited but also manipulated.
According to me, in all probabilities those are edited and manipulated at the Forensic Laboratory itself by the person or persons who were doing the analysis’’. ``I have no doubt that the edited and manipulated CDs and report on narco analysis by Dr Malini may mislead the probe,’’ the court said.