Arguments on the CBI petition seeking permission for narco- analysis tests on the YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and his auditor Vijaya Sai Reddy have concluded in the CBI special court here on Wednesday.
The court has reserved its decision on the petition to July 16.
It may be mentioned that Jagan and Vijaya Sai Reddy, accused number one and two in the illegal assets case against the former, were arrested by the CBI. Vijaya Sai Reddy has later come out on bail. The CBI which has questioned Jagan both before and after the arrest was not satisfied with the information they could get from him. The agency has complained to the court that the accused was deliberately avoiding replies to its questions and urged for permission to make him and his deputy undergo narco-analysis tests.
However, lawyers of both the accused have argued that narco-analysis test was against the constitutional and legal rights of their clients.
Using the technique of self-incrimination was not only forbidden in law, but also unconstitutional, they maintained. They also quoted Supreme Court judgments terming this test as illegal.
Narco-analysis tests are banned in several countries. In India too, permission is given by courts only in exceptional cases. Still the information received through questioning of an accused in a state of semi- consciousness under the influence of drugs is only treated as a circumstantial evidence and not concluding evidence, they argued. (NSS)