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Aarushi case
Talwars to get copy of CBI report
Parmindar Singh
Tribune News Service

Ghaziabad, January 7
Aarushi’s parents will get a copy of the closure report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, according to the directions of the special court here today.

The hearing in the case started at 10.35 am with Satish Tamta, Rajesh Talwar’s counsel, asking the CBI judge for a copy of the closure report filed by the probe agency on December 29. CBI lawyer RK Saini opposed the appeal by Talwar, saying that he was arrested as an accused in the case. Saini said that the accused could not be treated as a first informant.

Special CBI Judge Preeti Singh then asked the CBI counsel whether the agency has filed a chargesheet in the case. Saini said that it was “up to the court”. He said: The court can reject the closure report and can take cognisance or it can direct to conduct further investigation. If the court feels that the case can be closed, then the court can accept the closure report at its face value and case will be treated as closed.

Though CBI lawyers told the court that the agency believes Rajesh killed his daughter, but the judge said, “As of now, it seems there is no accused in this case. In the interest of justice, a copy of the closure report should be given to the Talwars.” The court will decide on January 21 whether to accept the CBI’s plea to end its case. Aarushi’s parents Nupur and Rajesh Talwar are opposing the CBI’s decision to close the double-murder investigation. The CBI had told the court n December 29 that it does not have any evidence - and cannot establish a motive - but believes that Aarushi was killed in her Noida bedroom by her father in May 2008. Expressing anguish Nupur and Rajesh have termed it as character assassination. Today, the CBI went further ahead with its claim, suggesting that Rajesh filed a police case after Aarushi died to divert attention from his own role in her murder and “to divert the police.”

Outside the court Nupur Talwar, minutes before entering the court, asked a CBI inspector, “You have to one day face and answer God. Why are you hiding your face?” The CBI inspector replied, “We’ll answer the court.” Nupur was very agitated and said, “We have lost faith in the CBI, too. We had thought it will provide us justice but it is now towing the Noida Police line of investigation and accusing us.”

Aarushi was found murdered in her bedroom at Noida’s Jal Vayu Vihar on the morning of May 16, 2008. She was killed while her parents were sleeping in an adjacent room. Initially, Rajesh Talwar told the Noida Police that domestic help Hemraj, who lived with them, was missing and that it was likely that he had killed Aarushi. The next day, Hemraj’s body was found on the terrace of the Talwar home.