Kolkata rape-murder case: CBI denied narco test request as Sanjay Roy refuses consent

A Kolkata court on Friday denied the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) request to conduct a narco-analysis test on Sanjay Roy, the prime accused in the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, after Roy refused to give his consent.

Roy, who was arrested in connection with the death of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor on August 10, was produced before the Sealdah Court on Friday for a closed-door hearing. The judge personally asked Roy if he had any objections to undergoing the narco test, and Roy declined to give his consent.

Under a 2010 ruling by the Supreme Court of India, narco-analysis tests cannot be conducted without the accused’s voluntary consent. While the test holds legal validity, the courts only grant limited admissibility depending on the circumstances under which it is conducted.

The CBI had approached the Sealdah Court seeking permission for the test, claiming that it would help verify Roy’s version of events.

“This is primarily to cross-check whether Roy is telling the truth,” PTI quoted a CBI officer as saying.

The central agency had already conducted polygraph tests on Roy and several others involved in the case.

How narco analysis is conducted

During a narco test, sodium pentothal is administered to put the subject into a hypnotic state, making it difficult for them to lie, the officer explained. “In most cases, the accused provides truthful information,” the officer added.

Sanjay Roy was arrested by Kolkata Police on August 11, a day after the doctor’s body was found in the hospital premises. The case was later handed over to the CBI on August 23 following a Calcutta High Court order.

As part of its ongoing investigation, a CBI team visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Thursday to speak with hospital authorities and review the departments connected to the case.