Allahabad High Court reserves judgement on Talwars' petition

The Allahabad High Court today reserved its judgement on a petition of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, accused of killing their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, seeking summoning of 14 witnesses and recording their statements in trial court.

Justice Rajesh Dayal Khare reserved judgement on the petition of the Noida-based couple, whose petition was filed on May 15, two days after they were ticked off by the Supreme Court for adopting "a wrong procedure" by approaching it directly without first having moved the High Court.

The Talwars have challenged a CBI court order on May 4 whereby their request for summoning and recording statements of 14 witnesses, including top IPS officer Arun Kumar who is at present the ADG (Law and Order) of Uttar Pradesh and was a Joint Director of the CBI during the probe, was turned down.

Aarushi was found dead with her throat slit in her bedroom on May 16, 2008. The initial suspicion went on Hemraj whose body was later found in the terrace at their residence in Jalvayu Vihar in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi.

The high-profile case was handed over to CBI after a recommendation to the effect by the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, in the wake of outcry against alleged shoddy investigation by the police.

A closure report was filed by the CBI in December, 2010, wherein Rajesh Talwar had been called the sole suspect but lack of adequate evidence was also cited.

However, in February, 2011, the special court at Ghaziabad expressed the view that there was enough evidence against Aarsuhi's parents and initiated proceedings against them.