SC admits Santokhben's plea against narco test

New Delhi, Oct 22 (UNI) The Supreme Court today admitted a petition filed by Godmother Santokhben challenging the validity of order of the State of Gujarat to subject her to a narco test in a murder case.

A bench comprising Justices Almas Kabir and H S Bedi also stayed till further order the proposed narco test to be conducted on the petitioner.

The petitioner had challenged Gujarat High Court judgement permitting the police to carry out the narco test on the Godmother who is facing several criminal cases in Gujarat, on the grounds that confessions made during the narco test are not admissible as evidence in the court.

She has also contended that several injections are given to the person to be subjected to narco test, which may prove extremely harmful, sometimes fatal also.

Narco tests are conducted by the police during investigation to ascertain the truth of the statements made by the accused during interrogation but the statement made during narco test are not admissible in evidence as the accused is not in his senses and is also not in a sound state of mind due to the impact of injections and other medicines.

The apex court directed to tag the petition along with similar petitions already pending in the court challenging the validity of narco test.

UNI