Crime Detection: Looking Back From Polygraph ...

Crime Detection: Looking Back From Polygraph to Bishadata Lakshanani

Author Name : Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Kr. Goswami

ABSTRACT The terminology “CRIME” , as per law in force , means and indicates an act to cause harm to an other individual , group or society . It may be in the form of physical or psychological harm / disturbance or both . Committing Crime is not new for the human society . Since time immemorial some individuals committed crime causing disturbance in the peace of some individuals / group . “CRIME DETECTION” indicates the process of identification of individual / individuals involved in crimes secretly committed. It is a difficult and critical task for the security agencies to identify and confirm a suspect involved in a crime . Another moral and holi responsibility of such agencies is to make free to the innocent but suspected accused to prove as the fact is .Hence , with the aim to work smoothly but appropriately not causing chaos and suffering of the innocent individuals continuous effort is being given at different levels and now , polygraph (lie detector) is being considered as a helpful important instrument to detect the reliability of statement given by the suspect during interrogation . This device acts on the principle that a liar suffers from a number of markable changes in a number of physiological parameters like pulse, blood pressure , respiration etc. In the ancient times , when there was no machines to record pulse , blood pressure , respiration etc. the examination of suspects in relation to crime was made by trained experts . The evidence of such screening techniques are clearly mentioned in connection with the crime “giving poison with homicidal intent” in the ancient Ayurvedic classics viz. Charaka Samhita andSusrutaSamhita which are having close similarity with the working principles of polygraph , the sophisticated instrument to detect the truthfulness of the statement of a suspect which can be considered as a strong evidence to accuse or release a suspect in connection with a crime . A discussion and analysis on the ancient Ayurvedic scholars’ concepts and the working principle of polygraph is felt to have importance to understand the evolution of this instrument and also to witness the depth of knowledge of the Indian scholars , the Ayurvedic acharyas .