The morning of Diwali on 4 November 2021 was the festival of lights, but darkness began in the house of a professor. Sounds of laughter and joy were echoing in the Sector 14 campus, the official residence of senior professor Bharat Bhushan Goyal of Panjab University. But the view inside was horrifying. The body of the professor’s 60-year-old wife Seema Goyal was lying on the ground floor. The face had turned blue. No signs of theft, no evidence of outside intrusion. Just a silent room, where lamps were burning but the light of life had gone out. When the Punjab Police team arrived, the first suspicion fell on Professor Goyal. Because he was at home, but he claimed that he was outside. The only daughter Parul, who was close to the mother, also told the same thing to the police.
The forensic team of Punjab Police started investigating everything. Fingerprints, DNA, CCTV. But nothing was found. Because Professor Goyal was a respected educationist. Used to teach ethics to students, went out of the scope of investigation. The case went cold. But Seema Goyal’s brother suspected that someone had murdered his sister inside the house. When the brother appealed to the court, the court finally allowed it.
The brain mapping test of a professor in the forensic lab located in Rohini, Delhi exposed the whole secret. Early in the morning on 8 December 2025, the professor was arrested from outside his residence. Punjab Police took him on police remand for three days and reconstructed the incident. Perhaps after four moves the police were given the same room, the same lamps, but were given a chance to reveal the truth. Now the question arises that will this argument of the police lead the professor to the gallows?
How did a professor become a murderer?
Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said, ‘This test has directly confirmed the involvement.’ But legal experts warn. A 2010 Supreme Court decision ruled that testing without consent was unconstitutional and considered it ‘material evidence’ in a 2023 case, but that alone was not enough to prove a crime. In cases like Aditi Sharma and Amin Bhoi of Maharashtra, brain mapping got the accused life sentence, but physical evidence like DNA or weapons were not given as evidence for hanging. This did not lead to hanging.
What is brain mapping finger test?
An unsolved murder, which kept the police sleepless for four years. Four years later, in the summer of 2025, a new hope arose. The Special Investigation Team of Chandigarh Police decided that traditional methods had proved ineffective. Now is the time for ‘mind reading’. In July 2025, Professor Goyal was taken to the lab with the permission of the court for a Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature (BEOS) profiling test, also known as brain mapping or brain fingerprinting.
How is brain fingerprinting test done?
Psychiatrist Rajesh Kumar of Max Hospital Patparganj says, ‘This test is not magic, but a weapon of neuroscience. In simple words it is the ‘digital fingerprint’ of the brain. During the test, a cap with 32 electrodes is worn on the head of the accused, which monitors brain waves through EEG (Electroencephalography). The accused is asked to listen to or see words, pictures or sentences related to the crime and ‘probes’ shown on the computer with his eyes closed.
What do psychiatrists say?
Dr. Rajesh Kumar says, ‘Like, did I strangulate, tie with a rope or did I bleed on the morning of Diwali? If ‘experiential knowledge’ of the crime i.e. direct memories of the crime is hidden in the mind of the accused, then a wave called P300 is triggered in the brain. This wave emerges in 300-800 milliseconds, which indicates recognition of the details of the crime. This reaction does not occur in the brain of an innocent person, because he does not have such memories. The test is non-invasive. No medicine, no pain, just measuring brain electricity.
Where was this test done first in India?
In India, institutions like NIMHANS, Bangalore developed it and it is being used in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat since the 2000s. But the Supreme Court has warned that this is not the only evidence, it is only supportive. Professor Goyal agreed to the test, but the results were shocking. BEOS showed a clear P300 response in their brains to the details of the crime. Meaning, ‘experiential memory’ was present. Earlier, in 2023, daughter Parul’s polygraph test had turned out to be ‘deceptive’. That means signs of lying. Police described it as a ‘turning point’. Circumstantial evidence was also included like the murder took place inside the house and there was no outsider. Narco test could not be conducted due to poor health of the professor, but BEOS cleared the way.
But brain fingerprinting test has shown that Professor Goyal, who used to teach in the classroom that ‘Truth is Power’, is now looking into the mirror of truth himself. This case will write a new chapter of brain mapping, where the walls of the mind break and the memories of the crime start screaming. Will this lead to execution or just another unsolved puzzle? Time will tell, but one thing is certain, science has exposed the crime.
