‘CBI has all intelligence, resource to crack case’
A day after the CBI closed the sensational Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar spoke to Abhishek Sharan. Excerpts...
For dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, life has not been easier ever since the day their 13-year-old daughter Aarushi, along with their domestic help Hemraj Banjade, was found murdered on May 16, 2008. A day after the CBI closed the sensational double murder case, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar spoke to Abhishek Sharan. Excerpts…
What do you have to say about the CBI’s move to close the case?
Dr Rajesh Talwar: It came as a shock to Nupur and me, we are devastated. We feel let down by the CBI.
Dr Nupur Talwar: Till the end, we were hopeful that the CBI would crack the case and catch our daughter’s killer(s). The probe should not have been stopped.
What do you intend to do next?
Dr Rajesh Talwar: Our lawyer, Satish Tamta, is currently out of town, but will come back soon. On Monday (January 3, 2011), our lawyers will try to get a copy of the closure report to formulate a legal response to protest it. We will file a protest petition. We will also meet the CBI director (AP Singh), if possible, to ask why did this happen. We appreciate that the CBI tried very hard and didn’t frame any innocent person, though.
Dr. Nupur: We might also request the judiciary to take over the probe and set up a team of investigators drawn from the talents available in the country.
Do you think the CBI had enough leads to carry on the probe?
Dr. Nupur: The CBI will know about it the best. But from what is known from their probe, there were some evidence that needed to be examined diligently. The earlier investigating agency might have botched up the case but the CBI has all the intelligence and resources required to crack the case, we believe.
Dr. Rajesh: There was bloodied handprint found on the terrace from which DNA trace of the culprits could have been drawn out. We had told the CBI that we were even ready to sell our house, if required, to foot the bills for getting such likely evidence tested outside by the Touch DNA technique, which we were told could be done, but is not available in the country. They were initially interested in getting foreign help, I do not know what happened later. Finding the killer(s) of my daughter is our only concern.
The CBI claimed the killer(s) had a friendly access to the house. Could medical assistant Krishna, domestic helps Rajkumar Sharma and Vijay Mandal be the suspects as the CBI probe, supervised by then joint director Arun Kumar, claimed earlier? Hemraj Banjade knew this trio who stayed close by.
Dr. Nupur: There is a possibility that the ones having access could have done it. As per the Supreme Court directive, we cannot comment on this.
According to the CBI, you two were also suspected besides the trio and outsiders?
Dr. Nupur: Rajesh was in jail for 50 days. He is the father of a murdered daughter. The CBI put us through all kind of tests, including narco analysis, and hours of questioning. They did not get anything against us. Who will compensate us for the mental and physical trauma we have undergone?