Aarushi murder case: Court to decide on CBI closure report

GHAZIABAD - A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court will give its order today on the agency’s closure report in the Aarushi Talwar murder case.

The court of Special CBI Magistrate Preeti Singh, which heard the matter on Tuesday, reserved its order for today, following over three hours of argument during which the CBI claimed that circumstantial evidence points to the parents of the dead teenager.

CBI counsel R K Saini opposed the protest petition filed by Aarushi’s father Rajesh Talwar against the CBI closure report during the last hearing on January 25.

Saini said there was nothing left in the case and there was no scope of further inquiry. He also said that the Investigating Officer of the case has ruled out involvement of servants or any intruders.

“The circumstantial evidence in Investigating Officer’s probe puts suspicion on parents’ role, but in all fairness he has also admitted weakness in successful prosecution in the case,” said Saini.

Talwar’s counsel Satish Tamta said there were many lapses in the CBI investigation and stressed on the need to conduct low count DNA procedure, which involves the testing of genetic material.

Tamta also produced a pillow cover in the court, which he claimed was Aarushi’s and was not seized by the CBI. However, the pillow cover did not have any bloodstains.

Talwar’s lawyer further said the CBI’s stand has changed, as the team investigating the case has changed.

He claimed certain leads had emerged in the narco-analysis test of domestic helps, which were not pursued.

He also said the CBI made certain observations related to the private parts of the deceased, which have not been mentioned in the post-mortem report.
alwar’s counsel claimed that the CBI leaked information about the closure of case to the media before filing of the report in the court on December 29 last year.

The advocate said more investigation should be made regarding the victim’s bed and pillow cover to reach a final decision.

The CBI has been arguing in court that it should be allowed to close its investigation into the Aarushi case because it has not found enough evidence to charge anyone with her murder. However, the agency has listed her father Rajesh Talwar as its only suspect.

The Talwars had on January 11 filed an application seeking all documents submitted by the CBI in support of the closure report.

The CBI court had on January 7 said that Aarushi’s parents are entitled to get a copy of murder case’s closure the report.

The CBI had argued that Rajesh Talwar had no ‘locus standi’ to argue as he was “no more a complainant” in the case.

Aarushi, 14, was found murdered under mysterious circumstances in her parents’ Jalvayu Vihar apartment in Noida, May 16, 2008. Their domestic help Hemraj’s body was found on the flat’s terrace a day later. (ANI)