Ghaziabad, November 25
The Ghaziabad CBI court today convicted dentist-couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar of murdering their daughter Aarushi (14) and Nepalese domestic help Hemraj (45) in a 2008 case. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on Tuesday. The couple face a maximum of life term in jail. Death for murder is given in rarest of rare cases.

After a 15-month trial, Additional Sessions Judge Shyam Lal held the two guilty of murders that took place on the intervening night of May 15 and 16, 2008, days before the birthday of the Class IX student at their Noida residence.

Soon after the judgment, CBI lawyer RK Saini said: “The circumstantial evidence led to the Talwars. The CBI investigating officer had submitted the report before the court, which took cognisance of the report and the circumstantial evidence,” he said. The two were held guilty under Sections 302 (murder), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. Rajesh Talwar was also held guilty under Section 203 of the IPC for lodging a false FIR.

The couple, who were present in the court, broke down on hearing the judgment, which was delivered at 3.25 pm. “We are deeply disappointed, hurt and anguished for being convicted of a crime that we have not committed. We refuse to feel defeated and will continue to fight for justice,” the couple said in a statement released to the media after the judgment. Rajesh’s brother Dinesh said they would appeal against the judgment in the Allahabad High Court. The police later took the couple to the Dasna jail after a medical checkup.

Reading out a portion from his order, the judge said: “Now is the time to say omega in this case. To perorate, it is proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused or the perpetrators of the crime in question.

“The parents are the best protectors of their own children. That is the order of the human nature but there have been freaks in the history of mankind where the father and the mother became the killer of their own progeny.

“They (Talwars) have extirpated their own daughter who hardly had seen 14 summers of her life and the servant without the compunction of terrestrial terrain in the breach of commandment ‘thou shall not kill’ and injunction of Holy Quran ‘take not life which god has made sacred’,” the judge said in his 204-page verdict.

“Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha (dharma protects those who protect it).... Both accused have flouted the ferocious penal law of the land and therefore liable to be convicted under 302 read with 34. 201 read with 34. In addition to this, Dr Rajesh Talwar is also convicted under 203 of the IPC,” the judge said quoting scriptures.

Aarushi was found murdered in the bedroom of Talwars’ flat in Noida on May 16, 2008. Hemraj was initially suspected of killing her but his body was found on the terrace of the Talwar’s residence a day later.

The Talwars have been held guilty under Sections 302 (murder), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the IPC. Dr Talwar has also been convicted under Section 203 of the IPC for lodging a false FIR.

May 16, 2008: Aarushi Talwar (14) found dead in the bedroom of her Noida home

May 17: Talwars’ domestic help Hemraj’s (45) body found on the terrace

May 23: Dr Rajesh Talwar arrested for double murder

May 31: CBI takes over case

June 13-July 11: Three domestic helps — Krishna, Raj Kumar, Vijay Mandal — held

July 12: Dr Talwar given bail

Dec 29, 2010: CBI files closure report, says not enough evidence against Dr Talwar

Jan 25, 2011: Dr Talwar attacked on court premises

Feb 9: Ghaziabad court orders trial of Rajesh and Nupur

May 25, 2012: The Talwars charged with murder, destruction of evidence, conspiracy

Oct 18, 2013: Arguments closed

Nov 12: Court reserves verdict for November 25