Commissioner appointed to observe 1984 riot witness’ polygraph test

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) A court here on Monday appointed a commissioner to observe the lie detector test of businessman Abhishek Verma, a witness in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Arora appointed noted advocate B.S. Joon as the commissioner after Verma alleged a forensic lab to have been "unfair and biased" while conducting his lie detector test.

Joon is former Director of Prosecution of the Delhi government.

The court also directed to allow a cardiologist to be present when Verma undergoes the test as it directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to finalise the date of test on November 1, the next date fixed for hearing.

On October 24, Verma's polygraph test was conducted in the FSL in Rohini here.

Verma moved an application alleging that forensic lab was unfair and biased, and sought that a detailed standard operating procedure for conducting polygraph test be filed by the FSL, Rohini in the court to bring on record complete transparency.

The court was hearing a CBI plea for permission to conduct the lie detector tests on Verma as well as Tytler, who is accused of leading a mob in Pul Bangash area in 1984 that led to the killing of three Sikhs.

The Congress leader has refused to undergo the test.

The agency's move came after Verma's accusation that Tytler influenced witness Surender Singh through money and a promise to send his son Narender Singh to Canada.

The CBI had earlier given a clean chit to Tytler in the case but reopened investigation following a December 4, 2015 court order in the wake of Verma's allegation.

On the court's direction, Verma had been provided round-the-clock security till his polygraphy test is conducted after he had told the court that he apprehended serious threat to his life as well as that of his wife and mother.