Aarushi murder case: HC's decision is stamp on Talwar's innocence, says lawyer

Counsel for Nupur and Rajesh Talwar, Tanveer Ahmed on 16 October said that the Allahabad High Court's decision is a stamp on the innocence of the couple, adding they deserved this verdict.

"Allahabad High Court's decision is a stamp on the innocence of Rajesh and Nupur Talwar. This is what they deserved," Ahmed, Talwar's lawyer told media here.

Nupur and Rajesh Talwar, the parents of 14-year-old Aarushi, who was found murdered nine years back in Noida, finally walked free today from the Dasna jail here after the prison authorities received the required court order.

Rajesh Talwar's brother Dinesh Talwar and their lawyers Manoj Sisodia and Tanveer Ahmed went to the Dasna Jail to receive them.

This comes at least three days after the Allahabad High Court acquitted them of charges of their daughter's murder, setting aside the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court's earlier order, in connection with the double murder case that shook the nation in 2008.

A high court bench, comprising of Justice B. K. Narayana and Justice A. K. Mishra, had reserved its verdict, in September, in the appeal filed by Aarushi's parents, who were sentenced to life in the jail.

The Talwars had been lodged in the Dasna jail since November 2013 in connection with the twin murders.

According to reports, as per Section 437 (a) of the CrPC, the Talwars, even after their acquittal, will have to furnish a surety to ensure that they will be present in the court in case the state files an appeal in a higher court.

A special CBI Judge, S. Lal, had earlier held Rajesh and Nupur Talwar guilty of conspiracy and murder of Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.

The order, however, failed to bring a closure to the case and the public opinion remained divided, even after years of the conviction.

On May 16, 2008, Aarushi was found murdered inside her bedroom in the flat in Jal Vayu Vihar - her throat slit with surgical precision.

It was initially suspected that house help Hemraj had killed Aarushi. However, the case took a shocking turn when Hemraj's body was recovered two days later from the terrace of the same flat.

The police then began to suspect the Talwars and said Rajesh had murdered the two after finding them in an "objectionable" position.

The accusations enraged the Talwars and friends, who accused the police of framing the dentist couple in order to cover up a botched investigation.

After widespread outrage, the case was transferred from the Uttar Pradesh Police to the CBI that exonerated the parents and suspected the Talwars' assistant Krishna along with two domestic servants, Rajkumar Sharma and Vijay Mandal.

In 2009, the CBI handed over the investigation to a new team, which recommended closing the case due to critical gaps in investigation.

Based on circumstantial evidence, it named Rajesh as the sole suspect, but refused to charge him due to lack of evidence.

Rajesh was first arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police on May 23, 2008 after which he was lodged at the Dasna Jail and let off on 11 July, 2008.

Later in 2012, his wife Nupur surrendered before a Ghaziabad court before trial and was also sent to the Dasna Jail.

-ANI