Why did Data lie to Geordie about the phaser discharging during transport when about to kill Fajo?

[Mojochi]

No, we see it fire an extremely narrow beam whose initial point of impact on Varia's body is only a few centimeters across and then spreads, eating her up from inside as described. Thus, it stands to reason that if it were fired just past someone's body, it wouldn't kill them.

The only reasoning it stands up to is that it penetrates what it's shot at & spreads, in your scenario, a gadget attached to Fajo. We have no idea how that will effect what's adjoined to it, in this case... Fajo. We also have no idea what penetrating the forcefield will do either. Data does.

This is why I stress "grazing," a word you seem determined to ignore.

I haven't ignored it at all. I've quoted it plenty. No mention of the word exists in the episode. Any claim that it can do any kind of grazing is imagined.

From a certain vantage, the box on Fajo's belt extends several centimeters past his body. If the inner edge of the beam just grazes the outer edge of the box, like so: (beam)[box](Fajo), then the fringe effects of the beam might be enough to short out the box without coming into contact with Fajo's body. At least it's worth a try.

So, he should take his one opportunity to free himself & safeguard threatened lives to …. "try", an unproven action that "might" work, because you speculate it will & think he should

But there's nothing in the episode that indicates that, so it's just speculation. What I'm saying is that the episode does not rule out the alternative I'm suggesting.

What you suggest is just as speculative. It's not incumbent upon writers to rule out every thing you demand, in the specific way you demand, least of all, when such a gripe hinges on some miracle shot though a mystery shield, with a nondescript disintegration beam, that's likely designed intent is solely to kill torturously.