File photo of Abdul Karim Tunda
The Delhi Police is now reportedly treating Lashkar bomb maker Abdul Karim Tunda's responses during his interrogation with wariness after psychological profiling of the 71-year-old suggested that he is "manipulative and often misleading."
On Tuesday, two doctors carried out a four-hour-long exercise to analyze Tunda's responses. This included a personality trait test, a psychopathology test and projective tests on the man who built bombs for terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba for over two decades and is on the list of the 20 most wanted terrorists in India.
The full report is expected after a week, but based on initial readings, the doctors have reportedly told the Delhi Police Special Cell that Tunda appears to be very cautious in his responses and averse to leading investigators to any evidence.
They reportedly said that he appeared to be an expert in manipulation and changed his responses after observing and understanding the interviewer and interrogator, and that he has often tried to mislead by citing illustrations.
Tunda, they observed, spoke fluently as long as he was not asked to get his version recorded on audio or video format. The doctors said this seemed to be a symptom of rota memory usage, which suggests that he had already decided on what to reveal.
He categorically refused to take the lie detector test. The doctors also told the police that Tunda seems to use his age as an excuse like citing a stomach problem or poor eyesight.
Tunda was arrested last Friday and has reportedly made startling revelations about his association with the Lashkar and in particular, some of India's most wanted men like underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar top man Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.
Tunda faces charges in 40 cases of bomb blasts in the 90s. On Tuesday, the police was granted his custody for four days more.