Zahir Jaffer’s polygraph, other tests conducted at Punjab forensic lab

ISLAMABAD: Zahir Jaffer, the alleged killer of former diplomat’s daughter Noor Mukadam, underwent a couple of tests, including polygraph, at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), Lahore, on Friday to verify his statements and evidence collected in connection with the murder.

Besides, samples taken from the victim’s body during the autopsy were also submitted to the agency for tests.

Earlier, the alleged killer was taken into physical custody for three more days on July 28 for verification of his statements and the evidence collected on his disclosures.

Police officers privy to the investigations told Dawn on condition of anonymity that a team of Islamabad police, including investigators, took the alleged killer to Lahore on Thursday night. On Friday, he was taken to the PFSA where he underwent the tests.

Polygraph test (lie detector test) of the accused was conducted to verify his statements given to the police during interrogation, they said, adding it included confession of the crime before police, details of the event and other disclosures which led to recovery of the pieces of evidence.

Besides, videograph test of the accused was also conducted there, the officers said, adding it was conducted to match and verify the accused with the videos recovered by the investigators in which he was chasing the victim and dragging her inside the house.

The investigators obtained the CCTV footage of a camera installed at the neighbourhood of the accused’s house, they said, adding the footage revealed that the victim jumped from the first floor of the house and ran towards the main gate, but it was locked.

Shortly afterwards, she took shelter in a guard’s room, but the accused broke the door and dragged her inside the house, they added.

Samples of the accused were also taken for DNA test to verify sexual assault, if any.

Moreover, the samples of heart, lungs, stomach, liver, spleen and intestine taken from the victim’s body during autopsy were also submitted to the forensic agency, they added.

The police officers said that mobiles of the victim and the accused were also sent to the Federal Investigation Agency to unlock them for forensic tests and retrieval of deleted data. They said that Universal Forensic Extraction Device would be used to extract physical and logical data from the mobiles, including recovery of deleted data.

Investigating officer (IO) of the case Inspector Abdul Sattar told Dawn that about 25 tests were conducted at the PFSA. Besides, samples of the victim were also submitted there, he added.

Polygraph, videograph and DNA test results are awaited, he said, adding there was no timeframe when the results would be delivered to the investigators.

He said the victim and accused were using iPhones and the devices were switched off when sent to the FIA.