Bengaluru: City police investigating the sensational triple murder of a techie’s family have approached a local court seeking permission to conduct brain mapping tests on the prime accused, M Shwetha, 24, and her live-in partner, Kenneth J, 25.Kenneth stabbed Shwetha’s mother, M Muthulakshmi, to death when she was asleep on a sofa at his Seegehalli flat in KR Pura on June 22. With Shwetha’s help, he shifted the body to the bedroom. Kenneth also attacked Shwetha’s father, Somasundar, and sister, Supriya, when they walked into the flat. Somasundar ran out and fell on the staircase while Supriya was caught by Kenneth, who repeatedly stabbed her. Later, Somasundar died in the hospital, after giving a statement that Kenneth and his daughter, Shwetha, had attacked the three of them.The two accused, both software engineers, are currently in judicial custody at Bengaluru Central Prison.Deputy commissioner of police Saidulu Adavat said they want to subject the accused to brain mapping to verify the veracity of their claims.According to police sources, the murders were allegedly driven by financial distress and family disputes. During interrogation, Shwetha and Kenneth claimed her parents were deeply upset over unpaid loans, amounting to Rs 56 lakh. Shwetha reportedly raised these massive loans to support Kenneth and fund his personal needs.What is brain mapping?Brain mapping is a promising technology in criminal investigations. It is used to record the brain activity of the accused in response to certain images or words to decide on any person’s knowledge about a crime. In simple words, it detects whether the suspects, subjected to the test, are guilty of the crime or not.How it differs from polygraph test?A polygraph test measures peripheral physiological stress, like heart rate and breathing, during an interrogation to detect deception.Successful use of this technology:In May 2022, a 17-year-old went missing in Kanakapura, and his mother filed a missing person complaint stating that her son had left for an advocate’s office and was missing since then.Police, with court permission, subjected the suspect advocate and his associate to brain mapping, in which the two suspects gave vital leads that helped cops arrest them on charges of raping and murdering the victim. The matter is before the court now.
