The XIV additional chief metropolitan magistrate today allowed the CBI to conduct lie detector (polygraph test) and brain mapping (F300 testing) on Satyam Computer Services founder B Ramalinga Raju, his brother and former managing director B Rama Raju and former chief financial officer Srinivas Vadlamani, accused in the multi-crore scam at Satyam.
The court asked the CBI to conduct the test within eight weeks from today. The tests would be conducted by the forensic and medical experts in presence of the defence lawyers at Andhra Pradesh Forensic Laboratory in Hyderabad.
The CBI first filed the petition on March 24. The court heard the arguments on July 4 but reserved the orders for today. However, the observations of lie detection and brain mapping tests would not be admissible in the court.
According to the CBI prosecutors, crores of amount was misappropriated. The balance sheet of the business was maintained through computers. Raju had knowledge to operate the computer through the ID number and password. However, the three accused did not reveal the correct information with regard to modus operandi. Therefore, scientific tests are necessary to aid in the investigation.
The court in its order today felt that it was a fit case to give permission to the CBI to conduct lie detector test and brain mapping. It set conditions saying that any self-incriminating statement, if made by the accused, cannot be used or relied upon by the prosecution. The investigation officer should intimate the date and time of tests to the accused and the actual recording of the lie detector test should be done by an independent agency (such as hospital) and conduct in presence of the lawyers. It also said that full medical and effectual narration of the incident must be recorded.
Earlier, Raju did not give consent for conducting these tests. The defence counsel tried to impress the court that the health of Raju was not good and that he was suffering from cardiac problems and blood pressure.