Narcoanalysis

It refers to the controlled administration of intravenous ‘truth serum’.

Arushi Talwar’s parents will undergo narcoanalysis soon. But what is it? Narcoanalysis refers to the controlled administration of intravenous ‘truth serum’. The uncontrolled version is considered torture. A psychoanalyst must be present while the patient is injected with drugs or substances that depress inhibitions and suppress the central nervous system. Basically, it gets patients babbling. The practice was terribly popular among Russians during the Cold War, and is now generally favoured by Indian investigators in cases ranging from murder to fake stamp paper to terrorism.

To put a suspect through narcoanalysis, investigators require judicial consent. Most narcoanalysis is conducted at special facilities in Gandhinagar or Bangalore. When the serum (usually sodium pentothal, used as an anaesthetic during surgery) is administered, the patient becomes semi-conscious and ripe for questioning. In some cases, a trained psychoanalyst is handed a list of questions by investigators.

Statements by patients undergoing narcoanalysis are not admissible in court. However, if evidence is uncovered due to these statements, the patient is done for—because corroborative evidence is admissible.

It is generally acknowledged that this form of analysis has ambiguities. These doubts can be somewhat eliminated through tough questioning, but not entirely. M Sivananda Reddy of the CID wrote a paper in which he stated that it ‘…may sometimes be helpful in interrogation, but even under the best conditions they will elicit an output which is partially contaminated by deception, fantasy, garbled speech…’ It has also been recognised that suspects who can withstand the pressures of a reasonably tough interrogation can withstand questioning under narcoanalysis. This applies to psychopaths. Where blanks exist, they could simply make stuff up. All this makes it harder for investigators to sift accurate information from make-believe. But it sure makes for great news television.

When the subject emerges from the mental haze, he feels he revealed more than necessary. And that gives investigators guilt and nervousness to play with.

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Rahul Bhatia