Landmark Supreme Court case · 2010
Selvi v. State of Karnataka
Why this case matters
Involuntary narco-analysis and polygraph tests violate the right against self-incrimination.
Connected constitutional articles
Article 20 — Protection in respect of conviction for offences
Criminal law cannot be used as a trap: no punishment under a law that did not exist at the time, no double punishment for the same offence, and no forced self-incrimination.
Article 21 — Protection of life and personal liberty
The State cannot take your life or your personal freedom unless it follows a procedure that is fair, not merely written down. Courts have used this article to protect dignity, privacy, livelihood, and humane treatment — far beyond the original one-line text.