Aarushi murder case: Talwar to challenge CBI findings

GHAZIABAD/NEW DELHI: Rajesh Talwar, prime suspect and father of the victim in the Aarushi murder case, on Sunday said he would challenge the CBI's findings, describing them as "false and baseless allegations". The agency's closure report comes up before a special court on Monday.
"By this closure report, all I can say is that the CBI has condemned us for life," said Nupur Talwar, Aarushi's mother."They have put all kinds of false allegations upon us without any evidence."
The CBI report, submitted on December 29, had cast suspicion on the parents, while the clearing servants in the house. The court is expected to decide on whether or not the case should be re-investigated.
"We are now going to move the court. I have to talk to my lawyers and we hope the court gives us justice," Talwar said. Nupur added: "A completely unscientific investigation has taken place. It is very upsetting and disappointing... I don't know where the justice for my child has gone." The Talwars are reputed dentists practising in Delhi and Noida.
Aarushi, 14, was found murdered with her throat slit, at the Talwars' residence in Noida on the morning of May 16, 2008. The body of Hemraj, their domestic help, was found on the terrace the next day. In its closure report, CBI gave a clean chit to three servants of the doctor couple — Krishna, Raj Kumar and Vijay Mandal — who were picked up as suspects.
CBI has raised doubts over the role of the dentist couple in the case but said there was insufficient evidence against Rajesh for it to file a chargesheet as it could not zero in on any motive.
In an attempt to find the murder weapon, the CBI also checked a golf club provided to them by Rajesh. The CBI in the closure report had said that the golf club "appeared to have been thoroughly cleaned... visibly distinct from the other golf clubs of the set". One of the clubs reportedly matched the dimensions of the wounds on the heads of Aarushi and Hemraj.
Law minister Veerappa Moily, who had asked CBI to have a relook at the case, said on Sunday that the agency was "independent and autonomous" and could not be given directions. He added that he had asked the agency to reconsider its closure report in the wake of the public sentiment riding on the case.
The three domestic helps, who were earlier chargesheeted in the murder of Aarushi Talwar but later found innocent, are planning to sue the CBI for implicating them in the case. The counsel of the three helps — Krishna, Rajkumar and Vijay Mandal — applied for an official copy of the closure report.