Pathankot Attack: Court Allows NIA To Conduct Lie-Detector Test On Salwinder

18 January, New Delhi

A city court Monday allowed the National Investigation Agency(NIA) to conduct lie detector test on Salwinder Singh, a controversial Gurdaspur SP who has claimed was abducted by the terrorists before they attacked the Pathankot airbase on January 2.”Yes, the court has allowed the plea. It shall be conducted subject to availability and proper briefing of the expert,” a top NIA official here said.

Following a week-long examination of Singh along with his cook Madan Gopal and Panj Pir dargah keeper Som Baba, the agency had approached the court earlier today to seek its permission to conduct lie detector test(polygraph test) on the Punjab Police officer.

Sources said Singh, who is being examined as witness, not accused, under Section 160 of Code of Criminal Procedures(CrPC), might have given his consent, but the NIA wants to be legally circumspect and wants to take no chances in a sensitive case.

The Ministry also categorically denied the story that appeared in a section of media, saying Singh was into drug dealing and used to get the gold jewelry or diamonds as barter the reason why a jeweler was in his company at the time of alleged abduction.

“That’s a cock and bull story. There is no substance in it,” the official said.In a sensational run up to terror attack on Pathankot airbase on January 2, Mr Singh claimed he was abducted on night intervening December 31 and January 1 by some culprits, who later turned out to be the terrorists.Before being summoned by the NIA, Mr Singh had already given multiple versions of his “abduction” in freewheeling interviews to TV channels.

The NIA then summoned him as witness to join probe.Mr Singh’s cook and Panj Pir dargah keeper have also been examined as witnesses by the agency.Singh is said to have been cooperating with agency but his claims are at variance with those made by the cook and the dargah keeper.

Singh has claimed he was regular visitor to Panj Pir dargah and he was on his way there when he was abducted. Som Baba had feigned ignorance about Mr Singh’s visits to dargah.