Parents to face trial in Aarushi murder
PTI
GHAZIABAD, FEB 9
In a big jolt to them, parents of slain teenager Aarushi Talwar, Rajesh and Nupur,were today ordered to face trial in the murder of their daughter and servant Hemraj more than two years ago after a local court today rejected the agency’s closure report in the case.
Special Judicial Magistrate Preeti Singh took cognisance of CBI’s closure report and issued summons to the parents to appear before her on February 28, making them the accused on charges of murder, destruction of evidence, conspiracy and common intention to commit the crime.
After today’s brief proceedings, CBI counsel R K Saini told reporters that “The court has taken cognisance of offences under Section 302, 201 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code and summoned Dr Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar as accused in the case for February 28.”
The dentist couple have been made 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.
Rajesh, who was arrested by the Noida police in 2008 but was given a clean chit by the CBI earlier, is on bail while his wife has been named as an accused for the first time.
Today’s order of the SJM paves the way for the trial in the case in which the CBI sought closure even after naming the dentist couple as accused but pleaded their helplessness in pursuing it for lack of proper evidence.
Yesterday the CBI had said “Our stand was that the probe of the investigating officer proves that no outsider was involved in this (Aarushi-Hemraj deaths). Servants are not involved in this and circumstantial evidence is pointing out that whatever has been done, parents only have done it.”
However, Talwar’s lawyer Rebecca John said they were completely innocent, and the order of the SJM will be challenged in a higher court.
“There is no material against Rajesh and Nupur. They are completely innocent. We will prove categorically that someone else has killed Aarushi. Nothing but victimisation is being done,” John said.
She said, “Its an unfortunate order but a judicial order. I bow to the order. Whatever remedies are available to us, we will challenge the order in a superior court. It is a challengeable order and we will challenge it. We will decide in two days as to which court to approach.”
There was speculation that the couple could be arrested but John dismissed the possibility saying “There is no question, no apprehension”.
The court rejected Talwar’s petition against the CBI report seeking fresh investigations to nail the culprits. He had pointed fingers at the servants.
With today’s order, the three servants who were earlier made an accused in the case will now walk free.
