Talwars to be tried for Arushi's murder: CBI court

Court asks chargesheets to be filed against the Talwars for murder, destruction evidence and more

GN Bureau | February 9, 2011




The Arushi Talwar murder case took a curious turn on Wednesday when  a special  CBI court hearing on the agency's closure report rejected the same and ordered filing of chargesheets against her parents Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar for murdering Arushi, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.

CBI special Magistrate Preeti Singh took cognizance of the report and have summoned the couple on February 28.

The dentist couple have been accused under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence) and section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC.

CBI had claimed in its closure report that there was not ample evidence to chargesheet the Talwars even though circumstantial evidence proved the parent's involvement. After the investigating agency frailed to nail anyone for the crime, the Talwars had filed a petition seeking fresh investigations maintaining that the servants, who early on in the investigation had been considered suspects, were to blame. But the court on Wednesday rejected the petition as well.

Talwars’ lawyer Rebecca John said she will approach a superior court to get the order struck down. In her reaction she said , “There is no rule of law in the country. We propose to challenge the order in a superior court. This is not a final order. This is open to challenge. Our remedies are open."  In an apparent reference to the media she said, "... you create an atmosphere and this is what will happen."

However furious John sounded at the turn of events, such a posturing by the court in only in sync with the general sentiment after even the CBI admitted on Tuesday that the closure report points to the involvement of the couple in the murder of Arushi and their servant Hemraj. CBI’s lawyer RK Saini had told reporteron Tuesday that the probe proved neither servants nor any outsider was involved in the murders and circumstantial evidence pin down the parents only.  Legal experts we talked to believe all that is needed for the criminal proceedings to initiate is reasonable suspicion which arises easily from the circumstantial evidence in this case.

Courts taking cognizance like this not only raises questions on the ability of our investigating agencies, but also raises hopes of justice. It will be too pre mature to say that like in the Jessica Lal case, Arushi’s case can be redeemed from here when the culprits have meticulously destroyed the evidence and investigation has apparently been shoddy. But today’s turn of event has fallen no short of putting an egg on CBI’s face as well the Talwars, the petitioners who sought to suggest that Arushi’s killers were  her servants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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