4 yrs after professor found wife dead on PU campus in Chandigarh, the mystery is unravelling and he is key suspect

AStop-start but hi-tech dig into may eventually be unravelling the mystery story slow the murder of a professor's wife on Panjab University (PU) campus in Chandigarh, and the suspect is the professor himself.Arrested last Monday — four years and one month after his wife was found dead on Diwali day in November 2021 — Professor BB Goyal's brain-mapping allegedly revealed patterns that have made him a suspect for the murder of wife Seema Goyal, a homemaker.This is reportedly the first such use of Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature, a technology usually called brain-mapping, by police of the Union Territory of Chandigarh in a murder case.BB Goyal, a senior professor at the University Business School of PU, continues to be quizzed by the cops. Their daughter's statements have proved to be key evidence, officials have said.The murder case was registered against unknown assailants based on the original statement of BB Goyal back in 2021.What happened that night?BB Goyal had then said he had slept in another room upstairs the previous night. He said he found Seema's body with injury marks on the ground floor, with her hands and legs tied with pieces of cloth, around 7.30 am. He moved the body to a hospital before police arrived, officials noted.BB Goyal had told the police that an outsider probably entered the house, killed his wife, and fled.Seema’s post-mortem report later said she died due to strangulation. But police investigation revealed there were no signs of forced entry, and no valuables missing from the house, ruling out robbery.Seema's brother had also claimed that the crime was committed by someone inside the house. He even went to court seeking hastening of the probe.BB Goyal was arrested only now, after the brain-mapping was done at a centre in Rohini, Delhi; but that came after several other steps in the absence of conclusive physical evidence.What did brain-mapping reveal?Back in December 2021, police sought a narco-analysis test on the professor, but it could not be conducted as he was declared medically unfit because of an asthma condition.The probe moved slow. It later included questioning of his and Seema's only daughter, who was not home that morning. That gave some clues. And earlier this year police moved to BB Goyal's brain-mapping.BB Goyal remained largely “deceptive” in custody, police said.His Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature (BEOS) profiling hinted at “experiential knowledge” of the crime, including an underlying domestic dispute. That became the basis of his arrest.He has allegedly been unable to explain several elements:Prof BB Goyal initially told police that he found the main door locked from outside, but later claimed he used an already-cut kitchen mesh panel to reach inside and unlock the door using a duplicate key and enter.He also informed neighbours that his wife had been found in an unconscious state, hinting at a possible robbery or break-in. However, investigators found his explanation inconsistent with physical proofs.The layout and condition of the house suggested that the entry and exit were controlled from within, contradicting BB Goyal’s version of events, police said.Turning point came in 2023, via daughterBB Goyal and Seema's only daughter, Parul, had been away at a friend’s house since the day before. During questioning, the daughter, now 30, said frequent disagreements were common between the couple before the murder, police sources have told HT.On the night of the murder, she had gone out to celebrate with her friends as she had cleared her NEET exam. When she returned the next morning, she learned of her mother’s death, she has said.Her testimony two years after the murder proved a turning point. A polygraph test, usually also called a lie-detector test, showed some deceptive responses to crucial questions.Two questions produced deceptive indicators: “Do you know who killed your mother?” and “Was there any dispute between your parents the night before the murder?”Officers said these responses suggested she was withholding information. This led officers to apply for permission to conduct BB Goyal’s BEOS profiling in July 2025.BEOS, unlike a polygraph, does not rely on physiological stress responses. Instead, it records EEG brainwave patterns while the subject listens to detailed crime-reconstruction narratives, revealing whether the brain reacts as if the person experienced the act.‘You killed my mother’Another key element of the probe is the phrase “you killed my mother”.At the time of the incident, Professor BB Goyal had told the police that when his daughter returned home upon learning of her mother’s death, she confronted him in anger.According to his statement, she grabbed him by the collar and shouted, “You killed my mother.”Investigators said this remark, coupled with the daughter’s polygraph responses, suggested she may have had prior knowledge about circumstances leading to the crime.During the probe, the couple's daughter also said her parents had argued a day before the murder. The daughter joined the investigation and indicated to cops that her parents had been going through a “strained relationship”.Where's the probe at?BB Goyal is in police custody, and investigators have recovered two mobile phones belonging to him, which they plan to send for forensics.The murder weapon and the victim’s mobile phone – missing since the day of the murder – remain untraced.The cutter used to slice the mesh is yet to be recovered. A senior officer told HT the recovery would be vital for establishing the sequence of events and strengthening the case during trial.Investigators say they also intend to conduct a round of questioning with the daughter in the presence of her father to further clarify discrepancies in their statements.(with inputs from HT correspondents Naina Mishra and Aashi Shekhar)