Nupur wants forensic expert's cross-examination deferred

 A CBI special court here on Tuesday adjourned the proceedings in the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case for a day after accused Nupur Talwar filed a plea seeking the deferment of the cross-examination of a witness and forensic expert.

Nupur Talwar, Aarushi’s mother, sought delaying of the cross-examination of B K Mahapatra, a scientist from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Delhi, so that 13 other key witnesses could depose in the court ahead of the hearing on her bail plea in the Supreme Court.

Central Bureau of Investigation special judge S Lal adjourned the hearing till Wednesday after the local bar association called a strike in protest against a cane charge against their colleagues in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district.

The court hears the case for two days every week. The CBI, while opposing her bail plea in the Supreme Court earlier, said if she was granted bail she could influence the 13 key witnesses.

Nupur Talwar in her plea filed on Tuesday sought advancing the examination of these 13 witnesses in the trial court, and taking up the ongoing cross-examination of other witnesses later.

She said the examination of Mahapatra took four working days and his cross-examination would take another six to seven working days, delaying the hearing on her bail plea.

The apex court on August 13 adjourned the hearing on Nupur Talwar’s bail application till September 17, asking the CBI to expedite the examination of the 13 witnesses.

Nupur Talwar was taken into custody on April 30. She challenged in the apex court the May 31 Allahabad High Court order rejecting her bail plea.
She is lodged in Dasna jail in Ghaziabad. Her husband and co-accused Rajesh Talwar is out on bail.